Hunted
by adbailey
Summary: Annie wakes up to an awkward situation, plus a fugitive from her past shows back up in Houston...Please Review and let me know if it's worth continuing. A/J and rating may change in later chapters!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, since everyone seems to be more interested in the Annie/Jimmy storyline, I decided to give it a shot. Please let me know what you think, and for those of you reading my other story (Aftermath) I am going to try and finish it soon.**

**Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except for the ones I made up!**

**All mistakes are my own, and I am sure there are plenty!**

Chapter 1

It was one thirty in the morning, and the cold November chill had set in. Rachel Meeks shivered slightly as she walked toward her car in the Houston PD parking lot. Rachel was just coming off her shift at the Houston homicide unit and was exhausted after working long hours to solve the latest case. She got in her car and headed towards her apartment, completely oblivious to the headlights in her mirror that made every turn that she did.

As Rachel parked twenty minutes later, she seen another car park across the lot. She didn't give it a lot of thought, this was a busy part of town at all hours. As she made her way across the lot, she started trying to find her keys before she got to her door. Just as she pulled them out she heard soft footsteps behind her, but it was too late. As she turned to look for the person following her, she felt a sharp blow to the back of her head and her world went black.

The phone on the night stand rang four times before Annie finally rolled over and grabbed it. "Annie Frost," she said through her pounding headache. "I'll be right there," she said a second later and then hung up the phone.

She jumped slightly as she felt a hand run up her naked side. She wasn't use to sharing her bead with another person. "What is it?" her partner Jimmy asked in a sleep filled voice.

"We got a rape murder downtown. The guy left a note…he signed it el Diablo…Jimmy, he's back." Annie said as she got out of the bed, wrapping up in the sheet as she headed for the bathroom.

Jimmy shook his head to try and clear it. The team, except for Annie, had went out for drinks after the McGraw case. He came by Annie's later to find her drinking alone. She took a lot of cases personal and this last case was no exception. She probably would have been fine if Katie Calvin's father hadn't of shown up as they were leaving.

Jimmy had found her half drunk and thinking way to much about how she wished she had shot Bob McGraw right between the eyes instead of in his Kevlar vest, and that scared her. Jimmy finally convinced her that everyone felt that way, a lot more often than they admitted most of the time. For example, he was glad Luke killed Carson Puckett, and Annie was the first and only person that would ever know that.

They ended up drinking too much, and letting some things happen that probably shouldn't have. They were partners and best friends. They knew each other inside out, and Jimmy's relationship with Natalie was, well…undefined at the moment. However, Jimmy did not regret it. He felt a connection with Annie, and knew she felt the same, but he also knew her well enough to know that she would never admit her feelings.

He finally got up and walked into the bathroom with no warning. He found her in her bra and panties and her tooth brush in her hand. Her hair was wet from the quick shower she had taken. "What the hell Jimmy, don't you knock?" she said, wrapping a towel around herself.

"Annie," he said pointing towards the towel, "Is that really necessary after…" he trailed off, letting her finish the thought on her own.

She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, "We really let things get out of hand." She kept her eyes toward the floor.

Jimmy walked up to her and took her chin in his hand, pulling her face up until she looked at him. "Boots, I don't regret anything. As far as I'm concerned, that probably should have happened years ago. But, if you do…regret it, just tell me. Tell me it was a huge mistake, and it will never happen again, and we can go back to the way things were. I will never bring it up again."

Annie felt the tears in her eyes. She hated how he knew her so well. That's exactly what she wanted to say, but it would be a lie and he knew it. "I don't know how I feel Jimmy, but I do know it probably should not have happened the way it did."

She turned around, trying to put space between them, but he wouldn't let her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, running his hand through the slit in her towel and letting his little finger slide beneath the waistband of her underwear. He felt her quiver from his touch and smiled to himself as he brushed his lips across her neck. He felt her lean into him and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "It doesn't matter how it happened…it did. And I don't want to go back to the way things were…but I will…if that's what you want," he trailed off as he kissed her neck again.

She finally pulled away from him, "We can't do this now…we have to go." She pulled her hair back into a pony tail and went out to put her clothes on. She stuck her head back in the bathroom where Jimmy was showering and said, "I'm gonna run by the scene, I will meet you at the office."

"Annie, give me five minutes and I'll come with you." Jimmy said as he turned the water off. He hurried out and pulled his clothes from last night on. Annie looked at with furrowed eye brows. "These will have to do until we get the office. I have some clothes there in the bunks," he told her.

Finally they walked into the scene in the downtown Houston apartment. The woman known as Rachel Meeks was splayed across the bed in the nude, her hands tied to each side of the headboard and her feet tied to each side at the bottom of the bed. She had numerous bruises and scrapes all over her body, but mostly on her face. Her nose looked to be broke and both of her eyes were black. But what stood out the most was the big read slash that reached from one side of her neck to the other. This was the most gruesome scene Annie had been to in a long time, and the site of it took both her and Jimmy's breath.

Just then a detective walked up to them and extended his hand, "I'm Captain Russo, I appreciate you guys coming to the scene, I know it's not something you usually do. The victims name is…was Detective Rachel Meeks. She has worked in my homicide unit for three years and was very good at her job. The chief says we have to turn this case over to you guys, but I would appreciate being kept in the loop."

"You got it," Annie said. "I apologize for your loss, and I want you to know that we take the murder of a fellow officer of the law very personal. Do you know anything about a note that was left at the scene?"

Captain Russo pulled an evidence bag off of the counter. "Yea, your Annie right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm Annie Frost, and this is my partner Jimmy Godfrey," she said.

"I guess this was meant for you then," Russo said as he handed her the note.

Jimmy stepped closer as he read the note over her shoulder.

_Dear Annie, _

_It's been a while since my last visit. You really made it hell on me for a while. Things will be different this time though. I won't make the same mistakes again, you can count on that. Take care, Annie Frost._

_Until we meet again, _

_El Diablo_

Annie felt goose bumps run up her arms. She had almost had this guy three years ago, and when he got away he had almost killed her. If it hadn't of been for Jimmy, he would have. He had the knife at her throat but couldn't finish the job due to Jimmy knocking him off of her. He did however manage to make a deep enough cut to warrant a night at the hospital and over a dozen stitches. As soon as Jimmy had seen the blood he had dropped to his knees and covered it with his hand. By the time Annie had convinced him she was not dying, Diablo had disappeared, never to be heard from again, until now.

Annie looked up at Captain Russo, "We're gonna catch him, okay" she nodded. "We'll get him."

By the time Annie and Jimmy made it back to the office, it was breaking day. Annie had called the rest of the team in to work early and they were all starting to get there as Jimmy came out of the bunks with fresh clothes on. Annie was in the conference room alone as Jimmy walked in. She was so engulfed in a file she didn't notice him walk up behind her.

"You okay?" he asked, seeing her jump slightly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she said, not turning around.

"Come on Annie, it's not every day we get a love letter from a fugitive," Jimmy said as he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed softly.

She closed her eyes at his touch, "Jimmy, not here. I can't do this here." She put some distance between them as the rest of the team walked in.

"So what's up that couldn't wait until our regular shift started?" Daisy said yawning.

"Diablo's back," Jimmy said, which looked to wake Daisy up quite a bit.

"Wow, what's it been…three years, right?" Daisy asked.

"Diablo, the devil?" Luke asked.

Annie nodded as she pulled up the case on the big screen. "Willy Vasquez, aka el Diablo, has raped and murdered seven women and has been on the lam for three years now. Before he went under he shot and killed two cops, and injured three more. We figured he crossed into Mexico when he disappeared but we never had any evidence to prove it. Last night he raped and murdered Rachel Meeks, a homicide detective for HPD. He left a note for us on the body. He wants us to know he's back. He's playing with us and this time, we're gonna catch him." Annie stared at the photo of Diablo with hate in her eyes. She still had a small scar on her neck from his knife and she unconsciously reached up and rubbed her fingers over it.

Jimmy picked up where Annie had left off, "Diablo is thirty two years old now. His mother is white, father is Mexican. Mother lives in the outskirts of Houston. To our knowledge, he's had no contact with her in over ten years. His father resides in the Texas State Prison at Huntsville. He was busted on the murder of his mistress and their unborn child. The mistress threatened to go to the wife when she found out she was pregnant if Juan Vasquez didn't tell her about them. A few months later she was found with her throat slit in her apartment. Diablo was seventeen when that happened and three years later he committed his first act of violence. He beat the hell out of his girlfriend, nobody knows why. She said he just 'went off'. He served a short stint and when he was released he escalated. He made our most wanted five years ago. This guy is smart, covers his tracks, and will not hesitate to take anyone out that gets in his way," he warned as he stared at Annie.

An hour later, the team was outside of Angela Vasquez's house gearing up. They knew Diablo probably wasn't there, but they weren't going to take any chances. "Listen guys, on the unlikely chance Diablo's in there, even if you have him cornered and he acts like he has given up, don't let your guard down. It's this guy's mo to fake submission and come at you when your least expecting it…I have the scar to prove it."

Everyone nodded, Luke looked surprised, but the rest remembered the case very well.

Annie knocked loudly on the door, "US Marshals, open up" she yelled.

A second later a small lady opened the door, "Angela Vasquez, I need you to step outside," Annie said as she grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her out the door.

"What's this about?" Angela asked confused.

The marshals went in and cleared the house. Diablo wasn't there. "Ma'am, I need you to tell me the last time you spoke with your son," Annie demanded as she walked back out on the porch.

"I haven't. I don't know where my son is. I swear. What has he done now?" she asked.

"He killed a homicide detective last night. Look, I hope you're telling the truth, for your sake. Your son is a very dangerous man. If you hear from him, call me immediately," Annie said as she gave her a card.

Angela Vasquez shook her head in disbelief, "I don't know why I am so shocked. Willy was always just like his father…no good. I just can't believe I raised someone as evil as him."

They combed every inch of Angela's house to make sure there was no evidence of her son. They also looked through her garage and her car. There was no sign of him.

Finally, Annie turned towards the vehicle, "Let's go, I wanna stop by HPD homicide office and see if they recovered anything helpful from the crime scene," she said to Jimmy. "Tell the rest of the team to wait on us back at the office."

When they reached Houston homicide unit it was oddly quiet. They found Captain Russo in his office. Annie lightly knocked as they entered. She smiled apologetically, "Sorry to bother you today, we just wanted to see if you guys found anything at the scene that may be of use. Anything that seemed out of place, that maybe belonged to the killer instead of the victim?"

Russo just shook his head, "We didn't find squat. No prints, no semen. The guy cleaned up, covered his tracks. The only evidence we have is the note, which was also clean of any prints."

Annie nodded, "Looks like we may be at a dead end. We need to find out where he's been the last three years. That will let us know more about where he's going…Thanks Captain, I will let you know if we come up with anything."

The ride back to headquarters was silent, both marshals deep in thought. There was no where left to go from here. This is when the team got very frustrated. They would probably spend days chasing their tails until Diablo struck again and then it would start all over until he screwed up.

They went to their desks when they got back to the office. After working a while looking for any transactions in Willy Vasquez's name in the last three years, Jimmy looked up at Annie, "How do we even know that this is the real Diablo?"

Annie rolled her eyes, "Come on Jimmy, it fits him down to a tee. He ties her up, beats the hell out of her, rapes her, and then slashes her throat. She fits his type, plus was a police officer. A guy without his experience would never be confident enough to go after a homicide detective."

"Maybe this isn't his first time either, and maybe he want's headlines. Plus, Diablo's type is pretty wide open. Petite women that are between 25 and 35 years old. And no matter who it is, I think they are wanting your full attention." Jimmy said, pointing a finger at her.

"What makes you say that?" Annie asked.

"Well, first off there's the note. But even more so, everything about this victim reminds me of you. She was a tough cop, known for taking unnecessary risks on the job. She had an extremely high arrest record. Hell Annie, she even looks you…her hair, her eyes," Jimmy said.

"How did you find all of that out about her?" Annie said feeling chills run up her spine.

"I have been researching her. There's not much to track as far as Diablo goes, so I thought I would find out more about the victim. He targeted her specifically. He watched her, followed her. He knew her. Did you know that her place was broken into a few weeks ago, but nothing of any value was taken. Whoever broke in just took a couple of photos and left the door wide open. Annie, he could be watching you to," Jimmy told her.

"Jimmy, you're getting way ahead of yourself. There is absolutely no proof of that. He wants our attention because he wants us to think he is smarter than we are. We almost got him last time, so he will be even more careful now. But he's not going to stop until we make him," Annie said with confidence.

Just then Luke practically ran up to their desks, "Annie, this was just delivered. Where the return address goes it just says El Diablo. And…it's addressed to you."

Annie rose and took the envelope, ripping it open. On the paper inside she read, _Sooner or later, your mine. _There was also a photo of her walking into her building, talking on her cell phone. She sank back down in her chair both enraged and a little shaky at the same time.

Jimmy took the paper from her and read it himself, "Is this enough proof for you?"

"This doesn't make any sense. Why me? Why is he after me?" Annie asked shaking her head.

"You're the one that got away. Maybe he was after you before we forced him into hiding. But now we know he is for sure. I suspected it three years ago, but there just wasn't enough proof. Now there is. Annie, you have to be careful. If he ever finds you off your guard…" Jimmy trailed off.

"Yea, I know," Annie said, touching her scar again. She then turned and started pacing, "Dammit, how do we find this guy. He's been missing for three years. Why resurface now? Something had to set him off." She paused for a few seconds, "Luke, check on his father. See if he's had any visitors that match his son's description. If so, we need to get up to Huntsville and talk to him now."

"I'm on it," Luke said as he turned to go.

Annie sat back down at her desk, still shocked that Jimmy was right. "It's okay Boots, we all got your back."

"It still just doesn't make any sense. Maybe he's trying to throw us off," she suggested.

"Bluff or not, you're not staying by yourself until this is resolved…" Jimmy put his hands up as she began to protest, "There is nothing you can say to change my mind…now you either get me, or I'm calling in two officers to guard your door. Your choice."

"That's ridiculous Jimmy. I can handle myself," she argued.

"I'm not saying you can't Annie, but I'm also not taking the chance. Now, we can either go get your dog and we can stay here in the bunks, or we can stay at your place…but either way, I'm not leaving you alone."

Annie rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. There was no use in arguing with him. He was as stubborn as she was once he made his mind up. She really just needed a chance to wrap her head around what had happened between them last night. They already had a love hate relationship before they fell into bed together, and she was sure that was going to make it worse. They were to close, especially now, to be partners but she couldn't stand the fact that, if the chief found out they may be more than friends, he would have no choice but to split them up. It was stupid because, lovers or not, the way they felt about each other would never change. They were best friends, and he was the closest thing to family that she had ever really had.

Thirty minutes later the whole team was in the conference room. Luke had a list of Juan Vasquez's visitors which included his lawyer and someone by the name of Braulio Rodriguez.

"The guard didn't remember what this guy looked like but I did some checking and there is no one by this name registered to drive in the state of Texas…I figure it's worth looking into," Luke said as he handed Annie the list.

"Looks like he visited three times in the last four weeks. Jimmy, we're going to Huntsville. We'll call if we find anything useful. You guys just keep checking financials. See if you can find anything on Braulio Rodriguez, it could be Diablo's new alias but I doubt he is going to make things that easy for us," Annie finished as she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door.

An hour and a half later Jimmy and Annie sat across from Juan Vasquez. "What can I do for the US Marshals today?" he asked in a thick Spanish accent.

"You can tell us why your son visited you three times in the last month," Annie said getting right to the point.

"Ah, and you must be the famous Annie Frost. My son said you may show up," Vasquez smiled at her.

"Yea, what else did he say?" Annie asked not backing down even though she had a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Said to tell you that you and your marshal buddies were wasting your time looking for him. That he would come to you when he was ready for you, but until then you may as well forget about it," the inmate said cockily.

"What else did he say. Anything about what he's planning?" Jimmy asked knowing he probably wouldn't get a straight answer.

"What makes you pigs think I'm going to tell you anything to help you find my son? What kind of father would that make me, huh?" Vasquez smiled again.

Annie rolled her eyes and laughed sarcastically, "Yes, since you've been such a great role model so far!" She brought her eyes back to the older man and became very serious, "Look Juan, you do something for me, and maybe I can do something for you. If you ever want to see the outside of a prison again, you help us find your son. If not, you can rot in your cell and I will personally guarantee you will never step foot outside this prison until the day you die. You see, your up for parole in what, ten years? I can add obstruction and accessory before and after the fact on every murder your son commits from now until we catch him. After that, you can kiss the parole board goodbye," Annie promised.

"You don't scare me Annie Frost. There is nothing you can say to me that will make me speak against my son. I may be up for parole in ten years, but I know if Willy is ever caught his life will be over. I can't help kill my own son," Vasquez shook his head.

"Come on Annie, he doesn't know anything that will help us anyways," Jimmy said hoping to get a rise from the man.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. One thing I will tell you is that you better watch your back. He really has it in for you Ms. Frost. I won't rat out my son but I know if he's responsible for the death of a US Marshal, he will surely get the needle if he ever gets caught," Vasquez said and then rose up and motioned for the guard.

"Just a minute," Annie told the guard, "I'd like to have a look at his cell."

"Sure thing," the guard said as he led them towards the block where Vasquez was held.

Once they entered the cell they found Vasquez's bed neatly made and a few books and magazines stacked on the floor. "He doesn't have a cell mate?" Jimmy asked the guard.

"No, he can't get along with one. He's never done anything to extreme, but a fight breaks out in his cell within two or three hours of putting another guy in there. We finally decided the easiest way to prevent anything more drastic from happening was to keep him celled by himself as long as we have the space to do so," the guard said.

"Does he have any friends? Anyone you see him talking to on a regular basis?" Annie asked.

The guard thought for a minute, "There is this one inmate, Dave Sheppard. That's really the only guy I have ever seen Vasquez associate with at all, but I think they are pretty tight."

"What's Sheppard in for?" Jimmy asked.

"I will have to look at his file to be sure, but I think its bribery and drug trafficking," the guard replied.

"You check and make sure, we are going to search this cell, then we want to interview Sheppard. Find out how long he's in for and everything he's been charged with," Annie told him.

Annie and Jimmy found a stack of letters under the mattress that were from Diablo. He signed them WV for Willy Vasquez instead of using his nickname. They took all of the letters and checked through the books and magazines for any more that might be hidden away. When they went back to the visitation room the guard had Dave Sheppard waiting for them.

"What did you find out?" Annie asked the guard quietly.

"Sheppard is in for fifteen, he is currently in his fifth year. He was convicted on drug trafficking and extortion but accepted a plea and testified against a major drug lord. That's why he didn't get more time," the guard said handing Annie the man's file.

"Mr. Sheppard, I'm Annie Frost with the US Marshals, and this is my partner Jimmy Godfrey. I need to ask you a few questions about Juan Vasquez," Annie said.

Sheppard nodded, "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Has Vasquez ever mentioned his son?" Annie asked

"He has a couple of times. Says he's proud of him, that he takes after his old man, that kind of stuff," Sheppard answered.

"Anything else, like what his plans are or has he ever mentioned a location where his son may be," Annie asked.

"No location, but Juan did say his son has some big plans. Never did really elaborate on what they are," Sheppard told them.

"Listen Mr. Sheppard, if he says anything else, even if it doesn't seem relevant, I want you to tell that guard right there and he's going to let us know. But don't let Vasquez know your ratting him out. If you help us out, and it leads to us finding his kid, we will see what we can do about getting your stay here shortened significantly," Jimmy told him.

"I'll see what I can do, but Juan's going to know I talked to you guys, probably already does. He's not going to say anything that he doesn't want to get back to you, but I will give it my best shot. I hate to do that to the guy but hey, in here it's every man for his self, right," he stated.

"We appreciate that Mr. Sheppard. You can tell him you talked to us, but you convinced us you didn't know anything. He may never mention his son again, but if he does, let us know because it could mean that they are staying in contact," Annie said as she gathered her things and motioned to the guard.

On the way back to Houston Annie went through the letters they had found in Vasquez's cell. Most of them were insignificant, Diablo just checking up on his father. Telling him he was sorry for staying out of touch for so long. Finally Annie ran across one that mentioned Laredo. "The son of a bitch was staying right on the border, probably so that he could cross over if he ever caught wind of us getting close to him," she told Jimmy. "He calls us stupid and incompetent to many times to count. Says we wont know what hit us when he comes back into town."

"He had to know we would find the letters. He's taunting us," Jimmy said tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

It was now nearing nightfall. Annie called Daisy back at the office and told her to send everyone home and they would meet back at the office at eight the next morning unless they heard from her sooner. Then she and Jimmy headed for her place to sort through the rest of the mail. The closer they got, the more nervous Annie got about their 'situation'. She knew how she felt, and she knew Jimmy felt the same way, but she also knew she didn't want to mess up what they had, their friendship, or their partnership. It was to complicated, and she was pretty sure it was only going to get worse.

She took a deep breath as Jimmy parked the escalade and jumped out. She took her time walking up and pulled her keys out with shaky hands. She felt a chill when Jimmy stilled her hands and took the keys from her. Their eyes met as he opened the door, and it was then that she knew he didn't have any intention in fighting his feelings any longer.

**Well, there is chapter one…I had a hard time finding a stopping point and I'm not sure how good the case is going to be, but I am hoping to include a lot more Annie/Jimmy action in the next chapter. Let me know what you guys think!**

**Please Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**First off, thanks so much for all the reviews! I hope you like this chapter as well as the first! And I am trying hard to listen to you guys on this, so let me know what you think!**

**This chapter is bordering on being rated M so please read responsibly.**

**All mistakes are my own, but the characters are not!**

Chapter 2

She took a deep breath as Jimmy parked the escalade and jumped out. She took her time walking up and pulled her keys out with shaky hands. She felt a chill when Jimmy stilled her hands and took the keys from her. Their eyes met as he opened the door, and it was then that she knew he didn't have any intention in fighting his feelings any longer.

As soon as they were inside, her back was against the door and his lips hungrily found hers. She tried to tell herself to resist but when she felt him start to pull back she found herself pulling him back down to her. All of her thoughts faded away as his hands slid down her sides. Then suddenly, he stopped. He looked at her shocked face and heard how rapid her breathing was. "What the hell, Jimmy?" she asked as she pushed him backwards.

"We uh…probably need to check this place out. Make sure everything is in place," he explained.

She rolled her eyes as she shoved past him, "Yea, next time don't start something you can't finish," she said half angry but mostly frustrated.

"Oh I fully intend on finishing it," he stated as he went towards the bedroom, checking every space on the way.

After going through Annie's place thoroughly, Jimmy was satisfied there was nothing out of place. When he came back to the living room he found Annie and 59, Annie's dog, on the couch. Annie was looking through the letters Diablo had sent his father.

"Find anything useful?" Jimmy asked as he sat down next to her.

She shook her head, "Not yet, but I've only read three. Here, make yourself useful," she said as she handed him a few letters."

After a few minutes Jimmy broke the silence, "I think this guy really wants his father's approval. He apologizes for everything…not visiting him in prison, not being there for him when he got locked up, not covering for him better. I think every woman he goes after, he does it for his father."

Annie nodded, "You may be onto something Jimmy. All of his victims are strong and independent, just like Juan Vasquez's mistress, who was a lawyer. All of his victims are around the same height and weight. Their looks vary somewhat, but most are attractive. How the hell did we miss this before?" Annie asked frustrated, running both hands through her hair.

"Hey look at this," he said as he pointed to a letter. "Says he has a girlfriend he's coming back for. Says he hasn't seen her in three years, but he's sure she will be happy to see him. He tells his father that he knows this is the woman that was meant for him because he has spent every night dreaming of her, that she has the most beautiful ice blue eyes that was ever known to man. And she is the strongest most persistent woman he has ever met…he's talking about you Annie," Jimmy said unnecessarily.

She grabbed the letter from him and reread what he had just told her. "Okay, now this is just getting ridiculous. Who does this guy think he is?" she said slamming the letter down on the table and standing up to pace her living room.

"Don't worry Annie, we're gonna get him, and he's not gonna have a chance to get near you," he said as he tried to calm her down.

She laughed sarcastically, "It's not me I'm worried about. How many more innocent women is he going to go after before he feels like he's made his point that we can't find him until he wants us to? He's good, too good Jimmy. He calculates his every move. There is no way to predict his next victim, and no way to track him," Annie finally sat down and put her head in her hands, "Why don't he just come after me if I'm who he really wants. Maybe I should bait him."

"Nooo, that's not going to happen. We will find another way," Jimmy said.

"Yea, well, I wish I knew another way…but I'm drawin a blank," she said leaning back.

"Come on, let's get some rest. We'll finish going through these in the morning with fresh eyes." Jimmy got up and took Annie's hand.

She let him pull her off the couch and lead her to the bedroom. He took her to the bed and let her sit down on the side. "You want me to take the couch?" he asked, not wanting to push her into something if she wasn't sure she wanted it.

She smiled half heartedly and shook her head. "You probably should…" she trailed off.

He returned her smile, "Just say the word, and I will leave you alone."

"Please don't," she said looking at him with sad eyes.

He had only seen her vulnerable side a few times in his life, and each and every time it rattled him. He knew this guy was starting to get to her, and he hated that. "Just don't think about it, put him out of your mind."

She shook her head, "How?"

Jimmy knew part of the reason Annie was having a hard time is because the last fugitive they were chasing had somehow broke into her apartment, drugged her dog, cuffed her to a pole, and stole her gun, badge, and escalade. Jimmy knew that had made her feel very insecure, even if she acted like it didn't. He crawled in bed behind her and began rubbing her shoulders, "I think I can help. Just try to relax."

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. He kneaded his fingers into her starting at her shoulders and moving down her back. She let her head fall forward as he started trailing kisses up the back of her neck. After she had had all she could take, she grabbed his hand and turned toward him, laying back and pulling him down on top of her. She kissed him hungrily, pulling at his shirt frantically.

He took her hands, "Slow down, Boots," he urged. They had clawed at each other the night before, and this time Jimmy fully intended to slow down and enjoy every little detail about her.

"Jimmy, please…" she begged him. She needed this, to help her forget about everything else.

He could see the urgency in her eyes, "Look at me," he kissed her slowly, holding eye contact the whole time. She tried to close her eyes but he stopped until she opened them again. "Don't try and hide from me Annie," he slowly unbuttoned her shirt, running his hands up her bare skin.

She pulled his face back down to her, slowly this time. All of her other experiences with the opposite sex was frantic and rushed and very impersonal, but this was Jimmy, and he knew her well enough to know that what she wanted was a quick release, but what she needed was to feel him, body and soul. And he fully intended to give her what she needed.

They slowly stripped each other, exploring each other as they went. Annie was very shy at first, but Jimmy made her feel comfortable in a way she had never felt before. By the time both of them reached their release, it was the most powerful thing either of them had ever felt.

They fell asleep tangled up together. For a while they slept peacefully, but then Annie began to dream of what had happened three years earlier…

_She was chasing Diablo through a deserted motel. She could hear Jimmy, Marco, and Daisy a few feet behind her. When she reached the top floor, she wasn't sure which way Diablo had went. "Jimmy, go left, I got right…Daisy and Marco, start checking rooms," she ordered, never pausing to look back._

_She made it to the end of the hall and quickly took the stairs up to the roof. She opened the door and was partially blinded by the bright sun. She let her eyes adjust before sweeping the roof with her shotgun. She seen movement and yelled, "US Marshals, stop…" she trailed off as she headed for the movement. When she rounded the corner, she found Diablo with his hands in the air, and a sick smile on his face. _

"_Hello Annie Frost…I guess you finally caught up to me," he laughed._

"_On your knees," Annie yelled as she kept her eyes trained on him. _

"_Make me," Diablo said, still smiling._

"_I will shoot you," Annie promised._

"_Really? An unarmed man? I'm pretty sure that's against the rules…" he trailed off as he heard the roof door open. They were around the corner so whoever was on the roof couldn't see them._

_In the split second that Annie took her eyes off of Diablo to try and look around the corner, he was on her. "No…" she tried to scream but he covered her mouth with his hand. He straddled her, pressing his weight on her so that she couldn't move. She could feel his erection pressing on her, and kept trying to squirm out from under him. _

"_You know, it's really too bad we don't have more time. I would love to do you right, break you before the kill, but looks like I'm just going to have to settle for a quicky this time. He laughed as Annie's eyes widened. When he reached for her belt, she bit the hand that was covering her mouth, and he jerked it away just long enough for Annie to call out for help._

_Diablo grabbed for his knife and switched it open quickly. Annie felt it slice through her skin just as she saw Jimmy come flying through the air, knocking Diablo off of her right before she blacked out._

"Annie…Annie, your dreaming," Jimmy said as he shook her.

She finally opened her eyes and sat up quickly, her hand flying up to her neck, and immediately, Jimmy understood. He seen the raw fear in her eyes and he pulled her to him. "It's okay, it was just a dream. I've got you."

Jimmy wrapped his arms around her until her fear was replaced with pure rage. Then she pushed away from him and stood to pace the room, grabbing her robe to cover herself. "Dammit, I hate this. I hate feeling like this. It's one thing for this son of a bitch to call me out, but now he's in my dreams. Why am I letting him get to me…letting him win?" She could feel tears of anger stinging her eyes. The dream had been so vivid that she could still feel Diablo on top of her, still feel his knife at her throat.

She stopped across the room with her back to him, and Jimmy knew she was remembering again. "Annie," he said but she didn't respond. He got up and walked to her, lightly touching her shoulder to try and pull her back to reality. She jumped and threw her hand up, as if to defend herself, accidentally catching Jimmy across the side of the face with her enclosed fist.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry Jimmy…" she trailed off as she put her hand over her mouth, shocked at what she had done.

Jimmy rubbed his hand over his face, "Damn, you gotta a hell of a right back hand."

"Shit, are you okay?" she asked, taking his hand away and seeing the mark she had left.

"I think I'll live," he smiled. "Do you feel better now that you released some of that rage?"

She smiled, dropping her eyes to the floor, "I can't believe I hit you."

"Don't worry about it," he said as he smiled back. "Annie," he said on a more serious note, "are you okay? You know, everyone would understand if you needed some distance from this case. It may not be such a bad idea…"

"Come on Jimmy," she put her hand up to quiet him, "you know me better than that. I'm fine, I just…had a bad dream. It…shook me a little but I'm fine now."

"Whatever you say…but do me a favor Annie…don't try and be the tough cop here. We're not at work, it's just you and me…and everyone has a breaking point. You don't have to be strong all the time. Let me be here for you," Jimmy told her sincerely.

Annie rolled her eyes, "I'm fine Jimmy, really. It's not that big of a deal, I lost focus for a second on that rooftop, and I paid for it. It was my fault, I should have never taken my eyes off of him and he would be in jail now where he belongs. But instead, he's killing more innocent women. It could have been a lot worse for me that day, but thanks to you it wasn't."

"Annie, him getting away was not your fault. Any one of us could have been in the same situation as you that day, and we would have probably done the same damn thing. You can't blame the death of his victims on yourself. We are going to get him. He will mess up, and when he does, his ass is ours," Jimmy said as he took her hand and led her back the bed. "Now, let's try and get some rest. We gotta be up in a couple hours."

She nodded, squeezing his hand. She laid down beside him and let her head fall into the crook of his arm, and draped her hand over his chest, "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"Being here," she told him as she closed her eyes.

"Thank you for letting me," he held her close, feeling her breath on his skin. After he knew she was asleep and didn't show any signs of a nightmare, he let his own eyes drift shut. He couldn't help thinking about how right she felt in his arms. He kissed her forehead one last time before letting sleep claim him.

The alarm sounded early the next morning, and Jimmy woke up to find himself alone in the bed. He pulled on his boxers and headed into the living room to find Annie sitting on the couch going through more of the Diablo letters. She looked up when she heard him, and a look of shock immediately covered her face.

"What?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

She put the papers down and walked over to him. She reached up and lightly touched the purplish bruise on his cheek and he pulled back slightly. "I didn't think I hit you that hard…" she trailed off.

"Hmm, it was a pretty good lick," he said as he rubbed his own hand over it.

She took a deep breath, "I'm so sorry," she said, looking at him very apologetically.

He smiled, "It's okay. I'll just tell everyone I got into a bar fight…that always makes for a great story."

"Yea, I can't wait to hear what the other guy looks like," she laughed.

"So, you find anything else in the letters?" Jimmy asked, walking over to the couch.

"I don't really know. He keeps telling his father he has big plans for when he's back in town, but he never says anything about what they are. It's the same thing that Vasquez's prison buddy said," she said looking up at Jimmy.

He took the letter she was currently reading, "You know, it's possible Vasquez didn't keep all the letters. If there was anything incriminating it one, he probably got rid of it before anyone else had a chance to see it"

Annie shook her head, "I doubt Diablo wouldn't be stupid enough to write anything incriminating. If he wanted his father to know anything that important, he would have told him in person. I just wish there was some way to get Vasquez to talk."

"Yea, that's not likely. He's willing to give up the rest of his life to protect his son from getting caught. He's not gonna talk to us, but maybe he will say something to his buddy. It seems like he is pretty proud of his son's work. Maybe he will start bragging and let something slip," Jimmy suggested.

Annie looked at him doubtfully while gathering the letters and putting them back into the folder. She would make copies of them and put together a folder for each member of the team when she got to the office. Maybe someone would see something that she didn't. She knew it was unlikely, but none the less, everyone had to be updated and she really didn't feel like doing it in person.

They both took a shower and got dressed for work, stopping for a quick bite of breakfast on their way. They walked in together and immediately Marco noticed Jimmy's bruised jaw.

"Man, what the hell happened to you? Natalie finally get enough and kick your ass?" Marco asked jokingly.

At the mention of Natalie, Annie froze and looked at Jimmy, shaking her head. She rolled her eyes and retreated quickly to the lounge. Jimmy smiled at Marco, trying to play it off without anyone noticing Annie's change in demeanor, "I ran into a door," he said as he turned and followed Annie, leaving Marco very confused.

Jimmy found her pouring coffee. "What was that all about?"

She looked at him hatefully, "I can't believe myself. How could I forget about Natalie? I got so caught up I didn't even think about her, but you, you should have known better! Have you even spoken to her in the last few days, or you letting her think you guys are just on another cooling off period until you figure out how this thing between us is going to work? Hell, all of your stuff is probably still at her place. How could I have been so stupid?" she said throwing her hands in the air.

"Whoa Annie, slow down. First of all, most of my stuff is in the bunks. I still have a few things at her place, but that's just because I haven't had time to pick them up yet. And no, I haven't talked to her in a few days, but I'm pretty sure after the last fight we had that she knows I'm done. I told her I would never be able to please her and that I was done trying. I told her that she needed to go find someone that would fit her mold because I was never going to change. I haven't heard from her since," Jimmy finished.

She shook her head, "That's the same fight ya'll have had how many times before?"

Jimmy looked her in the eyes, "This time I meant every word of it."

"Yea well, you need to make sure she knows that," Annie said, turning back to the coffee pot.

"Annie…" he started to object but she threw her hand up to stop him, "Jimmy, this is not up for negotiation."

"Annie, what are you so afraid of?" Jimmy asked quietly as he came towards her.

She shook her head and pointed at him, "Don't try and turn this around on me. I'm not the one who jumps right out of one long term relationship and into someone else's bed."

"No you prefer to do it the other way around huh…" Jimmy spat back.

She looked at him enraged, "What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"Annie I saw you leave the hospital with Ben Crowley a couple weeks ago," Jimmy told her.

She glared at him, "Oh and just because you seen me get in his car automatically means that I jumped in bed with him?"

"Tell me you didn't…tell me he dropped you off and nothing happened…tell me Annie," he waited for her response, but she just continued to glare at him. "Well?"

"Fuck you Jimmy," she said shoving her way past him and heading for her desk.

"Annie, you don't just get to walk away from this," Jimmy said to her before she got far away.

"Watch me," she replied without turning around.

Daisy, Marco, and Luke watched the fight between Annie and Jimmy from a distance. "What do you think it's about this time?" Luke asked.

"Who knows, they looked fine when they came in," Daisy said.

"Yea, it was almost like Annie got all pissed off when I asked Jimmy about that bruise he's wearing this morning. You know, I did mention Natalie, and that's when Annie stalked off," Marco added.

"Weird," Daisy said more to herself than the others.

A little while later Annie was still working at her desk. She was trying to calm down before she had another encounter with Jimmy, who she hadn't seen in a while. She wondered what he was doing, but then pushed the thought out of her mind as she tried to concentrate on her computer screen.

"So, what's wrong with you and Jimmy?" Daisy asked quietly as she pulled a chair up beside Annie's desk.

"He's just being an ass," Annie said, then shook her head, "Forget I said that. We'll be fine. Just a minor disagreement." She decided it would be best to keep her and Jimmy's private life out of the office.

Daisy nodded, "About the case? I see Diablo is after you," Daisy said holding up the updated file with a copy of the two notes to Annie and the letters to Diablo's father in it.

"Yea, could be he just want's our full attention. Nothing is ever as it seems with this guy, so I'm still trying to figure everything out," Annie said.

"So, let me guess…Jimmy is getting way to protective? Why is it that just because we are women, they all act like we can't take care of ourselves without their help?" Daisy ranted.

Just then Jimmy walked back in with a box full of stuff and headed towards the bunks. "So that's where he's been," she said to herself. She noticed the confused look on Daisy's face. "I'm sorry Daisy, what were you saying?"

Daisy shook her head, "Nothing…have you found anything new on Diablo?"

"Nothing. It would help if I knew what to look for. I'm just banging my head right now though," Annie said frustrated.

"Guess we're just gonna have to wait on him to make a move," Daisy stated.

"Yea, and that's not sittin to well with me," Annie stretched her arms behind her head.

"What's up?" Jimmy asked as he walked up behind them.

Annie didn't speak, which caused Daisy to raise her eyebrows, "Nothing much…just talking about the lack of progress we're having on the Diablo case," Daisy told him.

"Yea, looks like we're at a dead end until he decides to come out of hiding again, and there's no telling where, or when that's going to happen," Jimmy said staring directly at Annie.

Annie got up hastily from her desk and walked to the bathroom. She really didn't need to go, but she needed some space from Jimmy, and she doubted he would follow her into the women's bathroom. She took her time washing her hands. She was fighting the urge to punch a hole through one of the bathroom stall doors.

Just then Daisy walked in looking concerned, especially when she seen Annie pacing the bathroom floor. "Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

Annie stopped pacing and half smiled, nodding her head, "Yea Daisy, I'm fine."

Daisy looked unconvinced, "You know, you're more than welcome to stay at my place until we catch this guy."

"Thanks Daisy, but that won't be necessary. There's no way I'm letting this guy run me out of my home," Annie told her.

Daisy nodded understandingly, "I hear you. I'm just saying, if you need a friend…" she trailed off.

Annie smiled again, looking down at the floor, "Thanks Daisy."

They walked out of the bathroom to find Jimmy waiting. Annie rolled her eyes and headed for the conference room. She knew Jimmy would follow her and hoped that no one else would notice. She had a feeling they were about to have it out and the last thing they needed was an audience.

"Okay, what the hell is your problem?" Jimmy asked as he shut the door to the conference room a little to hard.

"My problem? Really? You jump to conclusions about Ben Crowley and make me feel like I've done something wrong, and then YOU want to know what MY problem is? You've got some nerve," she hissed.

"So that's what this is all about? Ben Crowley?" he paused, pacing around the table. "Okay, this has gotten way out of hand. I'm sorry for that comment I made earlier…I had no right. I just…you make me crazy Annie. You accuse me of cheating on Natalie with you. You act like I'm using you for a rebound girl…"

"Maybe you are…" she trailed off as she turned around to hide the tears that were stinging her eyes.

He walked up behind her and spoke softly, "Come on Boots, you know me better than that." He touched her shoulder lightly but she pulled away.

"Do I?" she said, not turning around.

"I got the rest of my stuff from Natalie's. I talked to her. She agrees that things have been over between us for a while now and we were both just putting off the inevitable. And Annie, I'm not on the rebound. You have to trust me here…" Jimmy said running his hand over his face.

Annie finally turned around, "Yea, well…it's not like you have a great track record."

It was a low blow, but she was right. What she didn't get is that he didn't see her the same as any of the other women he had been with. "Annie, your right. I'm sorry. But your not just another woman to me. I can't explain it, but it's different. You're different. I would never hurt you. What can I do to make you see that?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. But I need some space. I can't do this right now."

She started past him but he stopped her by taking her hand, "Okay, but promise me something…" he looked her in the eyes, "If you wont let me stay with you, please call someone to. I know you can handle yourself, but if something happened to you, I could never forgive myself."

She nodded slightly, then pulled her hand away and walked out. She found Daisy at her desk. "Hey, if it's still okay, I may take you up on your offer…just for tonight."

Daisy could see that Annie was upset, "Yea sure…let me just get my things, and we'll go grab a bite before we go home."

"Thanks, I'll wait in my car." Annie said as she made her way out. She didn't really want to stay with Daisy, but she knew if she went home Jimmy would probably show up there, and she just wasn't ready to deal with him right now.

Annie and Daisy made their way to Daisy's apartment after grabbing some food from a little café around the corner from the office. They made small talk, but Daisy didn't push to know what was wrong, and Annie was glad for that. She knew Daisy would ask sooner or later, and she wasn't sure what to tell her.

After watching a couple cheap reality tv shows, Daisy muted the television and turned to face Annie. "Okay girl, spill. What is going on? And don't give me any bullshit about the case. I know you better than that."

Annie pressed her lips together and shook her head, "Daisy, I can't. It's nothing, really."

"Oh it's something, and I'm not asking as a coworker…I'm asking as a friend. Annie, I saw how upset you were today. What happened?" Daisy said.

"I just…let things get out of hand with Jimmy. We got in another fight, and I knew if I went home he would show up. He doesn't think I should stay by myself until Diablo is caught." Annie said, telling her part of the truth.

Daisy raised her eyebrows, "Sounds like he's being a little overprotective."

Annie smiled, "Yea, tell be about it."

Daisy was sure that wasn't the whole story, but decided to drop it for now. After they watched a little more television, they decided to turn in. It had been a pretty unproductive day, but Annie was exhausted. She laid down on the couch with the blankets and pillow Daisy had provided and fell asleep quickly.

At a little after two in the morning Annie's cell rang. "Annie Frost," she said sleepily.

"Yea, this is the warden at Huntsville. Juan Vasquez was broke out of prison…I thought you should know since you are after his son…we suspect that's who helped get him out."

Annie sat up, now wide awake, "What the hell happened?"

"He faked a heart attack, and on the way to the hospital the ambulance was hijacked. It was found a few miles away, both EMTs and prison guards had their throats slit." the warden told her.

"Okay, we will be right there. Keep the scene secure," Annie told him as she headed in to wake Daisy up, hitting the speed dial button for Jimmy as soon as she hung up with the warden.

**Well, there is chapter two…sorry it took so long to update! I went back and forth on this chapter all week, so I hope you guys like it! I promise to update as quickly as I can, so in the meantime, leave a review!**

**Please read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here it is…the third chapter. It takes up right where the last one ended…please let me know what you think! Should I continue or is it getting boring? All reviews are welcome.**

**All mistakes are mine…character are not (except the ones I made up!) And one more thing…I wrote most of this chapter before last nights episode, so all of the comparisons are complete coincidence! There aren't to many, but just wanted to throw that out there!**

Chapter 3

Annie and Daisy met Jimmy at headquarters before heading to the crime scene. Jimmy and Annie didn't speak much on the way, and when they did it was very impersonal. When they got there, Annie jumped out of the escalade and practically ran over to the ambulance where the bodies were still being processed.

She spotted the warden as soon as she walked up, "Any news?" she asked, not wasting any time. She grimaced as she looked in the ambulance at the gruesome scene.

The warden shook his head, "Nothing. There is some tire impressions leaving the highway that were found about a hundred yards south of here. One of the crime scene techs has identified the treads as BF Goodrich Mud Terrains. These tires will make a distinct whine when driving down black top."

Annie nodded, "Well, that's more than we had. There wasn't any kind of messages left at the scene? Sometimes Willy Vasquez will leave a note or message of some kind at his crime scenes. He would have probably signed it El Diablo."

"If he did we haven't found it yet. I will let the guys know to keep their eyes open," the warden answered.

Annie smiled appreciatively, "Thanks, let me know if they find anything."

She walked over to Jimmy and Daisy, "The son of a bitch is sure piling up a body count. Two EMTs and two guards, all four sliced from ear to ear. It's a real mess in there," she told them, pointing to the ambulance where the crime scene techs were busy working. She filled them in about the tire impressions.

Jimmy finally spoke, "At least now we know what kind of vehicle to be looking for. It's more than likely a pick up, or possibly an SUV and I have heard the whine they are talking about…you can hear those tires coming from a mile away…and that's no exaggeration."

Annie looked to Daisy, "Call Luke and Marco, have them go to the prison and interview a Dave Sheppard. That was Vasquez's buddy in prison and it's possible he said something about this escape plan to him." Then she looked to Jimmy, "Us three are going to pay a visit to Angela Vasquez."

Jimmy nodded as they all turned and headed for Annie's escalade. Jimmy took the driver's seat, and Annie didn't object. She was just glad they were able to work efficiently together at the moment, considering their person lives were pretty screwed up.

They pulled about a block away from Angela's at a quarter after six. By the time they were all geared up it was breaking day. Jimmy walked over to Annie before they went to the house, "Be careful okay…if they are in there, make sure you have someone on your tail before you go after him."

She looked up at him, "I know how to do my job Jimmy," she said, regretting her harshness as soon as the words came out. She turned away and looked to Daisy, "Ready?"

"Hell yea," she nodded.

The three marshals and seven HPD units that had met up with them quickly made their way towards the house. Annie knocked on the door when they made it up the steps of the small home, "US Marshals, open up."

They immediately heard a shuffle of noise on the other side, "Bring it down," Annie told Jimmy, who kicked in the door a second later.

On the other side they found a terrified Angela Vasquez tied to a toppled over chair with duct tape over her mouth. After they had cleared the house, they came back and helped her up, taking the tape and ropes off. Then Annie sat on the couch across from her, "Mrs. Vasquez, I need you to tell me what happened."

Angela, still terrified, shook her head, "They said they would kill me if I talked."

Annie nodded, "We can protect you. Do you know where they were headed?"

Angela was crying now, "They wanted my bank account numbers. I told them I didn't have any money saved but they didn't believe me. They tore this place apart."

"Angela, I know you're scared, but did they say anything about what they were planning? Anything at all?" Annie asked as calm as she could manage.

"Just that it was a big surprise and that there was going to be a lot of people in shock after it went down," Angela said as she tried to remember anything that might help. "They took my debit card and all of my credit cards. I thought Juan was going to kill me…I've never seen him like that before."

Annie motioned for one of the HPD guys, "Take her in to protective custody, and I want this place monitored in case they try to come back," she told the young cop who took Angela and led her out the door.

"Daisy, we need to monitor Angela's accounts and credit cards, as soon as they use them we need to be ready. Whatever they are planning is gonna be big," Annie told Daisy.

"What kind of man ties up and steals from his own mother?" Jimmy asked rhetorically.

"The kind that doesn't have a conscience," Annie replied heading out the door.

The three were back in the conference room an hour and a half later. Jimmy brought Annie a cup of coffee and she half smiled thankfully. "Your probably as dead as I am, thought you could probably use that," he said pointing at the steaming cup.

"Yea, thanks…you heard from Marco and Luke?" she asked.

"They're on their way back in. Sheppard said the only thing Vasquez said to him was to start requesting the paper, their may be some interesting reading in the next few months," Jimmy answered.

Annie hung her head and squeezed the back of her neck, trying to fight off the headache she felt coming on. "So whatever it is they have planned, they're going to need some time to prepare for it."

"That or it's going to last a while," Jimmy replied, sitting down beside her.

Daisy looked over from the computer she had been working on, "I've red flagged all of the credit cards and bank accounts in Angela's name. We will know the moment they decide to use them."

Annie nodded. "What the hell could they be planning? Maybe they are going into business together. It's unlikely for a killer to change his pattern, but Diablo's pattern has always centered around his father. I just don't understand how he could live for three years without leaving some kind of trail. He was never wealthy, never robbed anyone that we know of. He had to get money somewhere. We need to get his picture out to as many businesses as we can in Laredo. Maybe he worked some low end job just to get by. Obviously he's outa money or he wouldn't have had to rob his mom," Annie said.

"Yea, good idea. I'll get his picture faxed to the local police in Laredo, see if they can come up with anything. You know, those mud terrain tires aren't cheap. If Diablo had them put on the truck, he could have been working at an automotive or tire shop. It's not like they're going to check into anyone before hiring them. And there are a lot of businesses ran in Laredo illegally," Jimmy suggested.

Annie nodded in agreement, "You may be onto something…unless he stole the vehicle, which is also a huge possibility. But we gotta start somewhere, I'm sick of sitting here twiddling my thumbs."

"I will tell the Laredo Police Department to start there. They will have to tread lightly though, or they wont get anywhere," Jimmy said as he headed out.

"Annie, we have something here," Daisy said as she stared at the computer screen. "Angela Vasquez's bank account was just accessed through an ATM." Daisy said as she pointed at the screen.

Annie hurried over and looked at the address on the screen, "That's right across the road from my apartment, come on Daisy, we gotta go!"

They grabbed Jimmy and headed out the door, explaining on the way. Jimmy called Marco and Luke and ordered them to meet them there, and Daisy called for backup from HPD.

By the time they pulled up to the apartment complex they were all suited up except Jimmy, who had been driving. He grabbed his vest and guns and put them on as quickly as possible while Annie and Daisy waited impatiently.

"Where you going?" Jimmy asked Annie as she headed for her building.

"They wanted us to know they were here. I'm going to check my place out," she responded without slowing down.

Jimmy and Daisy hurried after her, "Annie, we should wait for backup," Jimmy called as he tried to catch up.

"I'm not waiting. If they are still here we have got to move now!" she said as she entered the building and headed for the stairs. She pulled her keys from her pocket as she neared her door. While she unlocked it, Jimmy and Daisy waited on both sides of her.

They entered Annie's place with their guns drawn and moved from room to room, each person yelling out a "Clear" when they didn't find anything except for Annie's dog.

Annie walked around the bedroom looking for anything out of place. She didn't see anything until she turned to her mirror above the dresser. There was a note taped to the mirror that simply said, '_Look Higher_'. She grabbed it and flung it at Jimmy as she headed for the door, "He's on the roof!" she yelled not looking back.

"Daisy, let's go," Jimmy yelled as he ran after Annie, who already had a five to ten second head start. When him and Daisy got to the hallway, Annie was already heading up the stairs.

Annie took a breath as she neared the door to the roof. Her heart was pounding and she could hear Jimmy and Daisy a good distance behind her. When she got to the door, she didn't hesitate, swinging it open and sweeping the roof with her shotgun. Then she seen him, Diablo was standing about fifteen feet from the edge of the roof, smiling at her. She felt chills run up her spine as she pointed the rifle at him, knowing she couldn't shoot unless he drew a weapon. She stalked toward him, scanning the rest of the roof for Juan Vasquez, "Where's your father?" she asked as she got closer.

"Wouldn't you like to know? To bad I can't stay and chat…I just really wanted to look at you, make sure your just as good looking as your picture in the paper! Gotta run now, but I'll see you soon." Diablo turned and headed for the edge of the rooftop just as Jimmy and Daisy came through the door and onto the roof.

Annie, of course, unsnapped her shotgun and went in pursuit. She heard Jimmy yell at her to wait, but she ignored him. Diablo jumped down to the next rooftop which was about seven feet away, and about four or five feet lower than Annie's building. It was an easy jump for Annie, who followed a few seconds later. Jimmy followed them, but was to far behind to do much good yet.

Diablo sprinted ahead but Annie knew he wouldn't make the next jump no matter how much momentum he had built up and she wondered what his plan was. Just then Diablo slowed as he neared the edge. She smiled "I've got you now you son of a bitch," she said to herself. But then she seen him grab something…a rope. He had tied a rope from this rooftop to the next, and considering the next building was a considerably drop from the one they were on, Diablo was able to slide easily with his now gloved hands.

Annie hurried to the rope, and without hesitation, she grabbed on and flung herself over the edge, gasping as the rope burned her hands as she slid. "Annie, STOP!" she had heard Jimmy plead, right before she had cleared the edge. She couldn't stop, she was way to close now.

But she couldn't slide near as fast as Diablo had. Her hands stuck to the rope and slowed her down. She seen Diablo climb onto the other roof and then turn back, pulling out a knife. He was going to cut the rope. She stopped sliding, letting go of the rope with one hand and pulling her gun from her holster, but it was to late. Before she could aim her gun, he was cutting the rope. Jimmy fired from the other side, but Diablo had ducked, knowing it was coming.

Annie felt herself falling and flung her body around, quickly wrapping the rope around her wrists so that she for sure wouldn't let go when she hit the wall of the building. She held her right leg out to keep her whole body from slamming into the red brick, and when she hit, she felt a searing pain in her knee. "Aahh!" she yelled out in pain.

"Annie, hold on…don't let go," Jimmy yelled as he grabbed the rope and began to pull her up.

Annie closed her eyes, trying to block the pain. Her right wrist was throbbing, so she was trying desperately to hang on mostly with her left hand. But above all, her knee was killing her. As Jimmy pulled her up, she kept running into the wall, each time her knee touched she cried out in agony.

Finally she felt Jimmy grab her arm, and she helped pull herself up as much as she could. He got her over the edge and laid her down on the roof. "Daisy, call an ambulance," he said, never taking his eyes off of Annie. He held her close, "Tell me what hurts," he said desperately.

She took several breaths, and her knee was starting to go numb. "It's just my knee, I'm fine Jimmy. I don't need an ambulance!" she pleaded.

"I don't care…your getting one. That was a bad hit Annie. Are you sure it's just your knee?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes, I broke my fall with my leg. It's not that bad. I'm fine Jimmy, I promise," she said.

Jimmy touched her knee, trying to feel for any swelling through her pants, her eyes widened as his touch sent a shooting pain up her thigh, "Don't move it!" she said grabbing his hand and grimacing in pain at the same time.

"Okay, okay…we'll wait on the ambulance." Jimmy said as he stood up, rubbing his hands over his face.

"What about Diablo?" Annie asked suddenly. "Where'd he go?"

Jimmy shook his head, "We don't know, but we're gonna get him. Don't worry about it Annie."

"You should be trying to find him! Go Jimmy!" she told him.

"I'm not leaving you here. Daisy radioed all the HPD units along with Luke and Marco. They are looking for him, it's covered," he said pacing back and forth. "Annie, what the hell were you thinking. Did you not hear me yell at you to stop?"

She looked away, "I was to close Jimmy. I couldn't stop, I almost had him."

"No…you didn't. That went down just like Diablo wanted it to. He knew you would try and follow, and he knew he could get to the other roof and cut the rope before you could get to him. You're just lucky the fall didn't kill you!" Jimmy said full of anger.

Annie glanced at Daisy who was trying to act occupied looking at the rope that was tied to the ledge. Then she looked back to Jimmy, pleading with her eyes for him to drop it, "I'm fine Jimmy."

"You're not fine. You're…insane." He shook his head, "You're gonna kill yourself. How many trips to the hospital is it going to take before you realize I'm right? Dammit Annie, the next time, you may be headed to the morgue instead," Jimmy pleaded with her.

"Okay Jimmy, point taken…" she yelled back, trying to pull herself up. She took a sharp breath when she moved her leg, and Jimmy rushed to her side.

"Don't try and stand Annie, something could be broken," he said.

"It's not broke, help me up" she ordered.

"Are you…" Jimmy started but Annie interrupted him, "Dammit Jimmy, help me up. They aren't taking me down on a damn stretcher."

Daisy hurried over to assist him. They got on both sides of Annie, taking her arms and pulling her up in one smooth motion. Annie was sure to keep her weight off her knee but it still hurt extremely bad. She squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath until the pain eased a little.

"Annie, are you sure you don't want to wait? You may hurt something worse," Daisy said.

Annie shook her head, "It's okay…just hold me up."

Jimmy shook his head at her stubbornness but knew there was no sense in arguing. They helped her to the door, and made their way down a few steps until they reached an elevator. They took her to the escalade and by the time they made it there, the ambulance was pulling up.

Marco and Luke rushed over when they seen the EMTs looking Annie over. "What happened?" Luke asked.

"She almost killed herself…again," Jimmy said, regretting it after he seen the look on Luke's face. "She went after Diablo when she shouldn't have…she was close to him when he slid across a rope he had tied to the next building. She followed, of course, and he cut the rope when she was halfway across. She slammed into the building when she fell, and I think it messed up her knee pretty bad."

"Where were you and Daisy?" Luke asked.

"Yelling at her to stop…then pulling her up while Diablo disappeared." Jimmy said, watching Annie lay in pain while they loaded her in the ambulance.

"I'm going to the hospital…you guys keep looking. Interview the neighbors, see if they saw anything," Jimmy ordered as he ran to Annie's escalade.

Jimmy sat beside Annie's bed as they waited on the doctor to come in. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have blew up on you like that…you just, scared me. When I saw you hit that wall, I thought…" Jimmy trailed off.

"I know, it's okay. I probably should have listened to you," she said.

"Probably? You definitely should have, I've said it before Annie…your lucks gonna run out one of these days," Jimmy said, taking her hand.

"I'd say it just did," she said looking at her leg.

"This is minor compared to what it could have been. What if your head would have hit, it could have knocked you out. You would have fell four stories Annie. I'm not trying to lecture you. I just, can't stand the thought of loosing you," Jimmy didn't hide his misty eyes from her. He needed her to know just how serious he was.

She looked away to keep her own tears from spilling over. "I'm sorry Jimmy," was all she could manage.

A few seconds later the doctor entered the room holding Annie's chart. "Hello Ms. Frost. How's the knee feeling?"

"It's numb at the moment," Annie replied.

The doctor came over and pulled the sheet down so that he could see Annie's knee. It was red and swollen, and when he put his hands underneath it and slightly picked it up, Annie gasped in pain. The doctor didn't stop yet though. He mashed around lightly, causing Annie to slam her head back on the bed and fight herself to keep from trying to jerk away.

"Ms. Frost, I'm going to send you for an x-ray to make sure nothing is fractured, but from what I see now, it looks like you may have tore some ligaments. I'm thinking it could be your ACL because it's very swollen, so if there is no fractures I'm going to send you home with a Velcro splint until the swelling goes down, then we will do a MRI to see how extensive the tear is. I could try and drain some fluid to do it now, but it will be very painful," the doctor explained.

Annie closed her eyes, "How long till I'm back at work?"

"What do you do?" the doctor asked.

"I'm a US Marshal," she answered.

"Well, you need to rest your knee, keep it elevated and ice it every two to three hours for about twenty minutes until the swelling goes down, which will likely be two or three days. Then we will get you back in for the MRI and go from there. The recovery period will depend on how bad the tear is, but from the looks of it, you won't be chasing down any criminals for a while," he explained.

She rolled her eyes. "Dammit."

After the x-rays came back the doctor came back in the room. "Good news, there's no fractures. I want you on crutches and we are giving you a splint that you are to keep on at all times except when you're showering, in which case you should move your knee as little as possible, and try not to put much weight on it. I'm scheduling you for that MRI in four days from now, on Friday. Be here at ten a.m. and we will see how bad it is. Hopefully it won't require surgery, and then we will get you into rehab and decide how long before you can resume your normal activity."

"Thanks doctor," Jimmy said when Annie didn't respond.

Jimmy and Annie pulled back into the office an hour later. He helped her out of the escalade and handed her the crutches. She was still in some pain, but after the doctor had given her some good drugs, it was nothing like before. She did however feel a little loopy, and Jimmy could tell. "Now take it easy Annie, don't try and go to fast." He stayed close by her side.

When they entered the whole team rushed to her. "Easy guys, let her sit down," Jimmy said.

Annie went into the conference room and sat down. Jimmy brought another chair and a pillow he had grabbed from the bunks and gently propped her leg up. She flinched, but kept most of the pain hidden.

"So what's wrong?" Daisy asked.

"Probably tore her ACL. She has to go back Friday for a MRI," Jimmy said.

"I'm fine guys, did we find anything on Diablo or his father?" Annie asked, wanting to get back to work instead of sit around and talk about how she couldn't do anything but sit there with her damn leg propped up.

"A couple saw two men drive away right after Diablo disappeared from the rooftop. They said it looked like an older model pick up, black or blue. They didn't know what make or model, and they didn't get plate numbers," Marco said.

"So we pretty much got nothing?" Annie said exasperated.

Marco frowned, "HPD are still interviewing people."

"Well, at least now we know they really are after you," Luke said, earning a warning look from Jimmy.

Annie half smiled, "Yea, at least now we know…that makes me feel better," she said sarcastically.

"They are combing your place to see if he left anything else behind. Annie…they found rope on all four corners of the bed, and a newspaper cutout of your picture on the pillow underneath the covers. They were going to check for fluids the last I heard," Daisy said uncomfortably.

Annie's eyes shot to Jimmy, both of them thinking the same thing. They had been intimate in that bed two nights ago, and Annie hadn't been home since then. The crime scene techs were definitely going to find fluids.

The look between Annie and Jimmy didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the team, "Guys, what's wrong?" Daisy asked.

Annie looked down at the floor to avoid their eyes, "Jimmy…" she trailed off, not knowing what to say. The pain medicine she had taken making her mind cloudy.

"Don't worry about it Boots. It's gonna be fine," Jimmy said as he walked over and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Guys, can you give us a minute," Jimmy said. The rest of the team filed out, half confused and half concerned for their normally fearless leader. They had never witnessed Annie like this before.

Jimmy knelt down so that he was eye level with her. He took her hands into his, "It's going to be fine."

"No it's not. You know it's not. You know what they are going to find Jimmy. How can you say that?" Annie asked frantically.

"Calm down. I will go over there, see what they've found. I use to work with most of them and I still have some pretty close friends in the unit. If need be, I can keep this quiet," Jimmy told her.

"No Jimmy. Your not putting your job on the line. I will just tell them I don't want it tested. That I don't want my private life advertised. It's nobody's business anyways, and I don't see why it even matters if he left any…fluids anyways. We already know he was there," Annie said very uncomfortably.

"They are all going to question you Annie, about who you were with," Jimmy said.

"I will lie. Tell them it was a one night stand after a hard case and I don't remember his name. I had rather them think whatever they want to about me, than to know the truth…not yet anyways. Not until we figure this out," she said quietly.

"Annie, are you sure that's what you want. I don't care who knows about us," Jimmy said sincerely.

Annie shook her head, "There will more than likely be a big fallout if the chief finds out, at least until we prove to him that we can work together without things getting personal on the job. And until then, I want to keep this between you and me, got it?" she asked sharply.

"Got it," he said as he kissed her on the forehead. "So does that mean your not mad at me anymore?" he asked smiling.

"Don't bring that up right now…we can sort through it later. Right now, I just want to get through today," she told him staring at her leg that was starting to throb a little.

"You will Boots, I'll make sure of it," Jimmy said squeezing her hands.

**Well, there's chapter 3...hope you guys enjoyed! I am updating as quickly as I can, and it seems that reviews make me want to write faster! Please let me know what you all think, good or bad, all criticism and reviews are welcome!**

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	4. Chapter 4

**First of all, I want to thank all of you so much for the great reviews. I appreciate each and every one so much! Please keep them coming…good or bad, I want to know what you all think.**

**Again, this chapter borders on the M rating so read responsibly! All mistakes are my own.**

**I do not own any of the Chase characters…I just borrowed them for a little while!**

Chapter 4

Jimmy helped Annie in the escalade outside of the office. He had tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted they go to her apartment to see if anything else was found, and to try and prevent a DNA analysis on what they were both sure were found on the sheets. When they pulled up in front of her building, Annie felt sick to her stomach. The realization that Diablo had been in her home was just now hitting her. She thanked God that he didn't mess with her dog. But then again, he probably didn't have time to. Annie, Jimmy, and Daisy had made it to her place in twelve minutes after Diablo had used his mother's debit card to pull money from the ATM across the road.

"You okay?" Jimmy asked when he seen how deep in thought she was.

She looked at him and half smiled, "That makes two fugitives that broke into my place in less than two weeks. I'm starting to think I should up the security, cause 59 sure aint doin his job!"

"Yea, that wouldn't be a bad idea…You sure you want to go up? We can handle this over the phone you know," Jimmy said.

"I know, but I had rather do it face to face. Make sure it's done. Plus, I want to know if they found anything else, and who better to see if anything's out of place than me, right?" she said as she opened her door and turned to get out.

Jimmy hurried around and helped her, handing her the crutches she was already starting to complain about. When they made it up to her apartment, there were still a few crime scene techs and a few officers. They went straight into the bedroom, knowing that was where Diablo focused.

Annie immediately spotted a familiar face. Amelia Fox was over by the bed still processing evidence. Annie took a breath before she spoke, "Hey Amelia…how's it going?"

"Annie, I heard what happened. What did the doctor say?" Amelia asked.

"Probably an ACL tear, wont know how bad till Friday when I go for a MRI. You find anything useful?" Annie asked, leaning on her crutches and trying to fight off the pain in her leg.

Amelia rose to her feet, "We found rope tied to each corner of the bed. The rope's made from cotton, very common. You could buy it at pretty much any hardware store. We also found this photo cut from a newspaper. Looks like it was taken during the McGraw case," she said as she showed Annie the photo that was now in an evidence bag. Annie took the bag and stared at the photo. It was at the crime scene in the park when McGraw had shot two people with one bullet. Annie handed the photo back to Amelia, doing her best to act like it didn't bother her. "Is that all?" Annie asked.

"Besides the note that you found, that's all we've got so far," Amelia said.

Annie looked at her and lowered her voice when she spoke, "Daisy said you were going to check for fluids…" she trailed off.

Amelia smiled, lowering her voice as well, "Yea, there was nothing around the photo…and the other…I was pretty sure didn't come from our guy, considering where it was located. I didn't figure you'd want it ran."

Annie took a deep breath and smiled, "Thank God you're working this case. I really appreciate it," she said a little embarrassed.

"No problem…I completely understand. It's not easy being a woman and being in charge of people. I wouldn't want my private life advertised, just as I know you wouldn't," Amelia smiled. "Now, get somewhere and get off that leg. Everything is under control here. And you are going to need to change your locks, he messed them up pretty bad when he broke in. They aren't safe anymore."

Annie nodded as she met Jimmy at the door of her room. "All taken care of?" he asked.

"Yea," Annie said as she made her way out. "Hey Amelia," she yelled before she left.

"Yea," Amelia yelled back as she walked out of Annie's room.

"Do you know where they took my dog?" Annie asked.

"Yea, they ran him to a kennel down the road. They weren't sure when you would be back, and he kept trying to jump on the bed, so we had to move him. Here's the address, it's not far," Amelia said smiling as she handed Annie a strip of paper.

Jimmy headed the escalade toward the kennel, knowing Annie would want to check on the dog. He could tell she was hurting but he also knew the pain would have to be unbearable before she would take anymore pain pills. She claimed that she hated the way they made her feel. He pulled in the kennel a few minutes later, and helped Annie out. He handed her the crutches and walked with her inside.

"Hey, I'm Jimmy and this is Annie. There was a rottweiler brought in a few hours ago. Do you know where he is being kept?" Jimmy asked the man behind the counter.

"Yes sir, right this way," he said looking at Annie. "I take it you're Annie Frost? That's who the dog was registered to."

"Yes, that's me," Annie answered as she followed.

59 knew as soon as they walked around the corner. He gave a loud bark and was pacing the large cage when they walked up. Annie leaned a crutch up against the fence, "Hey boy, I bet you thought I abandoned you," she said as she ran her hand through and scratched the big dog on the head. "Did they bring a leash or anything?" Annie asked the man.

"Yes ma'am. I'll get it," he said as he hurried off.

"Annie, do you not think it might be a good idea to leave him here until you can go back home? I mean…you can't go back there until we catch this guy, it's not safe," Jimmy said.

"Jimmy, I can change the locks. I'm not leaving my home." Annie protested.

"Fine, but at least for tonight. Let's just stay in the bunks, or in a motel for tonight. Can you at least agree to that?" Jimmy pleaded.

Annie rolled her eyes, "Okay, but we are bringing him with us. I'm not leaving him here."

Jimmy just nodded. There was no sense in arguing with her. The man finally came back with the leash, and Jimmy snapped it to 59's collar when the cage was opened. The dog hurried up to Annie and sat down, looking up at her like he was waiting for something. "Sorry man, I don't have any food on me. We will get you some though, let's go." The dog walked obediently beside her and jumped into the escalade when the door was opened for him.

After running back to Annie's and getting some dog food and some of 59's supplies, Jimmy drove them back to the office. By the time they arrived, Annie was in agony and still refusing the pain medication the doctor had prescribed.

"Come on Annie, there is no need in hurting this bad," Jimmy told her. He knew that before Annie's mother died, she was bad to pop pills and zone out, most likely because she couldn't handle what Annie's father was doing. And he knew that was why Annie always turned down anything stronger than Tylenol or Advil, because what she feared more than anything in the world was becoming like one or both of her parents.

Annie gritted her teeth, "I'm fine. Just help me out, will you?"

Jimmy rolled his eyes as he walked around and helped her out. She took the crutches and started towards the door of the building. Jimmy got the dog and a few of the supplies they had brought, and then followed a slow moving Annie inside.

Daisy saw them enter and ran to assist Annie to a chair. "What are you doing back here?" she asked.

"Where else am I gonna go? My apartment is still swarming with CSI's and a motel won't let me bring my dog in," Annie smiled half heartedly.

Daisy nodded in understanding, "I hear ya."

"Everyone else go home?" Jimmy asked after taking the dog and his stuff into the bunks.

"No, they are just out grabbing a bite. They are bringing some pizza back for me. I been on with Laredo PD. They think they may have something at a body shop on the outskirts of town. I'm waiting to hear back from them now," Daisy updated them.

"That's great, maybe they can find out what name this bastard has been using for the last three years. It would sure be nice to get some good news," Annie said.

Jimmy brought a chair, pillow, and a bag of ice wrapped in a towel. "Time to ice that knee. You're already a couple hours behind," he said as he squatted down and started undoing the Velcro splint.

Annie jumped in pain, "Easy Jimmy, damn," she said gripping the arms of the chair she was sitting in.

"Daisy, will you please explain to Boots here that if she only takes pain pills when she is in an excessive amount of pain, the chances of becoming addicted are slim to none," Jimmy said, earning a pissed off look from Annie.

Daisy smiled, "He's right you know. The doctor wouldn't have given them to you if you really didn't need them. Don't sit there and hurt when you don't have to."

Annie sighed loudly, "I can handle the pain. The pills cloud my judgment and I need to be thinking clearly. If it gets unbearable, I'll take one. Now, can we drop it?"

Jimmy shook his head as he finished gently removing the splint. "Okay Annie, I'm gonna get you some jogging pants out of your bag, then Daisy can help you change in the bathroom. Then we can pull them up above your knee to ice it."

After changing, Annie hobbled back out to the chair. Jimmy helped prop her leg up on the other chair and gently laid the towel covered ice down on her swollen knee. She flinched and gritted her teeth when she felt the pressure of the bag. "Just breath, it will get better," Jimmy said. He couldn't stand seeing her like this.

After a few minutes Luke and Marco arrived with a large pizza. "What, is it casual Monday or something?" Marco joked pointing at Annie's sweats.

"Yea, didn't you get the memo?" Annie smiled.

Just then Daisy's cell rang, "Daisy Ogbaa," she answered quickly. After about a thirty second conversation, Daisy thanked the caller and hung up. "I've got a name!" she exclaimed, holding up the piece of paper she had taken notes on. "For the last three years Diablo has been living as a Juan Rodriguez. I'm gonna check it out," she said turning to the nearest computer.

"Finally, something to go on," Annie said. "Somebody bring me a computer," she said looking to the three men. Luke rushed to get one and brought it to her quickly. "Thanks," she said as she hurriedly logged on.

Daisy spoke up after a few minutes, "The real Juan Rodriguez lived in San Antonio. Get this, he's lived in San Antonio for twenty years then all of a sudden, three years ago he up and moves to Laredo and gets a job at The Three Amigo's body shop."

"Diablo probably killed him, hid the body, and stole the identity. They look so much alike that Diablo would've had no problem using his ID. He just had to shorten his hair and grow a goatee," Annie said staring at his picture. "We gotta get down there and talk to the people he worked with."

"Let Marco and Luke go. They got more rest than us three did last night," Jimmy said motioning to his self, Annie, and Daisy. "Marco will probably need to talk to them anyway considering they are more than likely Mexican and I'm betting they don't speak English. Plus, the doctor said you needed to rest that knee," he looked at Annie.

Annie rolled her eyes, "Fine, you guys go. Get as much information as you can. I wanna know everything from where he spent his time, to what kind of toilet paper he used to wipe his ass. Don't overlook anything, and call as soon as your done."

Marco nodded and the two men got up and gathered their things. It was almost six now, so even if they got on the road immediately, they still wouldn't make it to Laredo until eleven.

"Did they find where he was staying?" Annie asked Daisy.

"Yea, said it was an old secluded shack about ten miles out of town, pretty much setting on the Mexican border. You can bet Diablo had an escape plan if he ever heard that we were getting close to him," Daisy told her.

Annie nodded in agreement, "Okay, I want you two to go ahead and hit the road. Go to the Laredo police department and I will make sure they are waiting on you. I want you to turn his place upside down. Maybe he left something that will help us figure out what he's planning."

"You got it boss," Marco said as he and Luke headed for the door.

After they were gone Daisy brought the pizza box over and set it on the table in front of Annie. "How long's it been since you two ate?" she asked Jimmy and Annie.

Jimmy thought before he answered, "I guess since…this morning for me. And come to think of it, I don't think she's ate all day," he said looking at Annie.

Annie slowly lifted the lid of the box. Her stomach was still a little on the queasy side from the pain in her knee, but she knew if she didn't try to eat both Jimmy and Daisy would be on her. She almost wished they had went to Laredo instead of Marco and Luke. At least Marco and Luke wouldn't try and tell her what to do.

She lifted a piece of the pepperoni pizza and took a small bite. After she ate half of a peace, she set it down. Jimmy immediately noticed, "Annie, is that all you're gonna eat?"

She nodded, "That's all I want for now. This ice is starting to really sting."

Jimmy jumped up and gently removed it from her knee. "There, why don't you try and eat a little more and I will find some Tylenol…"

"Jimmy, I don't want anymore," Annie said sternly. "I'm good, really."

Jimmy got her some Tylenol and then went to the bunks to make out a bed with the blankets he had grabbed from Annie's. 59 had already made himself at home and was sleeping soundly in his bed.

Daisy watched Jimmy walk towards the bunks, then turned to Annie, "You know, you can stay at my place if you want. You can even bring the dog."

Annie smiled, "Thanks, but I'm okay. I think the less moving the better right now," she said looking at her knee.

Daisy nodded, "K well I'm gonna head home. Maybe Marco and Luke will find something and we will finally have a lead to run with in the morning."

"Yea, maybe. See ya then," Annie said as she leaned back in the chair. She was exhausted and more than ready to lay down. The office was quiet, everyone had went home for the day and Annie was glad for that. She closed her eyes until she heard Jimmy coming back down the stairs.

"Ready for bed?" he asked.

She just nodded, reaching for her crutches. "Here, let me help you," he said pulling her up and handing them to her. "I'd carry you but I'm afraid that would hurt worse."

"I don't know that it could hurt any worse," she said shaking her head.

"Annie, take a pill. You're about to go to bed and it will help you sleep," he told her.

"Jimmy, you know how I feel about them. I can handle it, really," she said.

"I know you can…trust me, I know how tough you are. You don't have to prove anything to me. But I also know that you are not your mother, or your father, and there is no sense in hurting this bad when you don't have to," Jimmy said as they slowly made their way up the stairs.

"Look, I promise if it gets unbearable, I will let you shove one down my throat…but right now it's still manageable. I just want to lay down," she pleaded.

Jimmy led her to the full size bed he had made. Thankfully they were the only two left at the office, so he wasn't worried about anyone seeing them together. He helped her sit down on the bed, and then took her crutches and leaned them against the wall. He then sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. She tensed at first, a little surprised by his actions. Then she let herself melt into him. She didn't realize how bad she needed him until she felt his touch. She buried her head in his chest, "I'm so sorry Jimmy," she whispered.

"I know…it's okay. I'm just glad it wasn't any worse. My God Boots, when you hit that wall, I thought you…" he trailed off as she looked up at him. He leaned down to her, tenderly placing his lips over hers.

She reached up placing one hand behind his neck and pulled him down to her to deepen the kiss. He let his hands slide under her shirt and around her back. When he felt her start to unbutton his shirt he broke the kiss, "Annie, this isn't the best idea," he said, not believing she was willing to do this in the bunks at the office. Plus, he was afraid he would hurt her knee.

"Jimmy, please…don't stop," she begged, her voice soft and husky at the same time.

She seen him look down at her leg then back up to her, "I don't want to hurt you," he said with concern in his eyes.

"You won't," she said pulling him back down to her. He gently laid her back, watching her eyes for any sign of pain. He undressed her slowly, careful not to move her knee to much. When their clothes were in a pile on the floor, she pulled at him desperately. He could see the need in her eyes, but was still very concerned about letting himself get carried away and hurting her. "Annie, are you sure your okay for this?"

"Yes Jimmy, please…I…need this. Please," she begged frustrated.

He slowly entered her, seeing her flinch when she had to move her leg to allow him better access. He paused, but continued when she pulled him deeper, letting her nails dig into his back.

After a minute he picked up the pace a little, constantly watching her face. Then she pulled him to her, kissing him passionately. "I'm fine Jimmy. Stop treating me like I'm made of glass," she said as she grinded her hips into his.

That was all it took. He couldn't contain himself any longer. She had done him in. He put a hand under her back to help lift her into him, and he went faster and harder. He felt her start to tense and she threw her head back. He kissed her again, hard this time. She moaned into his mouth and that was when he lost control. They reached their release together, continuing to kiss softly as they came down from the high.

"You okay?" Jimmy asked as he gently rolled off her.

"Yea," she said as she snuggled into him. "We should probably put some clothes back on."

Jimmy laughed, "I have my alarm set. And the door is locked. We're safe."

She took a deep breath. "Thank you…for that," she whispered as she pulled herself closer to him, pulling her leg so that it was resting across his.

"You don't have to thank me Annie. Are you comfortable, here put this pillow under your knee," he said as he gently lifter her leg and placed the pillow underneath it.

They eventually fell asleep in each others arms, but Annie's sleep was anything but peaceful. She kept mumbling things in her sleep and Jimmy could tell she was still in pain due to the way she kept furrowing her brows. When she finally woke a couple hours later, she finally agreed to take a pain pill. She knew that was the only way she was going to get any sleep at all. When it kicked in, Annie fell asleep quickly and slept soundly until the alarm went off the next morning. Jimmy quickly turned it off before it woke her, and slowly scooted out from under her. He got dressed and went downstairs to put some coffee on and then grabbed a quick shower in the locker rooms.

When he went back to check on Annie, he found her still sleeping soundly, and decided to let her get some much needed rest. He would just have to make sure no one went up to check on her due to her lack of clothing, which he was sure would raise some questions.

Half an hour later Daisy came in carrying two take out boxes of breakfast. "Where's Annie?"

"Still sleeping, believe it or not," Jimmy said with raised eyebrows.

"She needed a good nights rest. She ever break down and take a pain pill?" Daisy asked.

Jimmy smiled, thinking back to Annie's stubbornness, "Yea, about midnight," he said.

"That sounds about right. Here's you guys some breakfast. It's bacon, eggs, sausage, and hash browns, I wasn't sure what you liked," Daisy said setting the boxes down.

"Mmm, thanks. I'm sure Annie will appreciate that…and I'm starving!" he said as he took one of the boxes.

Daisy took out her cell, "I'm gonna call and check on the guys. They should be headed out to the body shop by now. I wonder if they found anything at Diablo's place in Laredo."

"Probably nothing of much use or they would have called," Jimmy said with a mouthful of bacon.

Daisy held her cell to her ear, hearing Marco's voice on the other end, "Hey, just checking on how everything's goin," she said.

"Well, considering I haven't slept in over twenty four hours I could use a nap. I have been going through pictures of Annie for the last two hours. Other than that, Diablo didn't have anything in his house to lead us to what he's planning," Marco said.

"Wait a minute, your telling me that all this guy had in his place was a bunch of pictures of Annie?" Daisy asked, causing Jimmy to stop eating and pay attention.

"Yea, over a hundred, mostly newspaper clippings but there are a few that he took himself. Get this, he dates everything and these pictures he took are dated over the last two and a half year, with the most recent one three weeks ago…and I'm thinking he probably took some with him to…I mean, why would you collect a bunch of pictures of someone and then leave them behind?" Marco asked rhetorically.

Daisy rolled her eyes, "You headed to the body shop yet?"

"Yea we're on the way there now," he said. "I'll call you as soon as we get done."

"Thanks," Daisy said as she disconnected the call and turned to Jimmy. "This bastard really has it bad for Annie."

"So…I heard you right? Diablo's old place was full of pictures of Annie?" Jimmy asked.

"Yep, Marco said there was at least a hundred or more. Mostly newspaper clippings but there were a few actual pictures he had apparently came back here and taken over the last two and a half years, the last one they found was dated three weeks ago," Daisy told him.

By now Jimmy was livid. There was also a few more people starting to file in so he got up and headed towards the bunks, "I'm gonna go check on Annie."

When he entered the room where Annie was still sleeping, he found 59 on the bed beside her. Jimmy sat down and ran his hand gently over her face. He hated to wake her up but he was afraid someone would come in. Her eyes finally fluttered open and she looked up at him. "What time is it?"

"A little after eight," he said continuing to stroke her face.

She sat up slowly, careful not to move her knee to much. She covered herself with one of the blankets, "Can you hand me those sweats?" she asked pointing to the sweat pants and shirt on the floor.

Jimmy handed her the clothes and helped her as much as she would let him. "I need a shower," Annie said a little shyly.

"Let's get you to the locker room then," Jimmy said helping her up and handing her the crutches. "How's the knee feeling?"

"It's still sore, but it's not throbbing. I think some of the swelling is gone," Annie told him.

Jimmy helped her into the locker room and turned the shower on for her. "Okay, there's a rail you can hang onto…or I could get in and help you," he said smiling.

She rolled her eyes, "Thanks Casanova, but I think I can manage."

He nodded still smiling, "I'm gonna go get you some clean clothes. You should probably put the sweat pants back on for now though so we can ice your knee."

Jimmy brought her some clean underclothes and a t-shirt and waited on her to finish. After she was dressed he followed her into the conference room, grabbing a bag of ice and towel from the lounge. He helped her prop up her leg and gently applied the ice to her knee.

Daisy walked in with the food she had brought, "Here you go, how about some breakfast?"

Annie smiled back, "Thanks Daisy. I'm starving," she said taking the food and fork.

Jimmy and Daisy sat quietly while she ate, not sure how to tell her about what had been found in Diablo's shack.

"Okay guys, what's wrong?" Annie asked after a few minutes.

"Marco and Luke searched Diablo's place all night…" Daisy started.

"And, did they find anything useful?" Annie asked, taking a bite of bacon.

Jimmy shook his head, "All they found pertaining to the case was a bunch of pictures."

"Of women?" Annie asked, setting her fork down.

Jimmy looked down, "Of you."

Annie looked a little shocked, "Me? What, like newspaper clips?"

"Mostly, but there were a few real pictures…looks like he may have taken them his self, that or he has an accomplice, and he doesn't seem like the type that would trust someone enough to work with them from that far away," Daisy said.

"Marco and Luke were on their way to the body shop before I woke you. They should be calling anytime to let us know if they found anything else," Jimmy said.

"I want those pictures brought back here. I wanna see what all he's got," Annie told Daisy.

"They're bringing them…why would someone save up that big of a collection and then leave them behind? Maybe he planned on going back there." Daisy said more to herself than anyone else.

Annie thought for a second, "Maybe he wanted us to find them. This guy's smart. He knew we'd find where he had been staying, just like he knew I would follow him yesterday. He wants to make sure I know he's been watching me. But why, why would he want us to know who he's going after…it doesn't make any sense…" she trailed off.

Jimmy got up and started pacing, "He could be trying to get in your head. To scare you, make you feel like a victim. He should scare you. Hell, he scares me. Who knows what his next move is. I'm not sure if his stunt yesterday was intended to kill you or spook you but either way, it should have opened your eyes. This threat is for real. He's not playing Annie, he wants you. And he's not gonna stop coming after you until we catch him."

"We can use that," Annie said quietly, looking at Jimmy very seriously.

Jimmy shook his head furiously, "No…absolutely not. Don't even think about it Annie."

Daisy shook her head too, "I agree with him, it's too dangerous. Plus, if we let you bait him up, and something goes wrong, you can't even fight back right now."

Annie grabbed the bag of ice off her knee and slung it across the room frustrated, "I hate this…there's nothing we can do. I just wanna be out there, have something to go on."

Daisy's cell rang and she seen Marco's number on her screen. "Tell me you got something," she said into the phone.

"They guys working here said that Diablo constantly talked about his girlfriend back in Houston. Said he took off a couple days out of each month to go visit her. And get this, he said as soon as he got enough money saved up, he was going to take her to Mexico and 'make an honest woman out of her'. Oh, and he had a few more pictures on his desk too. These are of Annie in plain clothes, in front of her apartment building, walking her dog, stuff like that. Daisy, in one of these it looks like she is looking right at him…it's kinda freaky," Marco finished.

Daisy sighed, "Is that it?"

"Well, we also found out he shaved his head and still wears a goatee if that helps any. They sent us a picture of all the employees at some party, and he's in it," Marco told her.

"Okay, see ya in a few hours," Daisy said as she disconnected the call. She updated Jimmy and Annie on what Marco had said.

"Maybe that's his big plan. Kidnapping a US Marshal and dragging her across the border would sure make some headlines. But why would he want to do that. He has never held victims for any period of time, that we know of. It's highly unusual for a serial killer to change his pattern that drastically," Jimmy said.

"Why would he take me across the border? What good would that do him? Why not just finish the job right here? Something's not right with this story," Annie said shaking her head.

"Yea, well, it's all we got…until he gives us more," Jimmy replied.

"And all we can do is sit here and wait," Annie said desperately. This was the worst part of the job. Knowing you were at a dead end and waiting on the fugitive to make another move. Knowing that when he did, it would probably mean another woman would die. It wasn't very often that fugitives were smart enough to avoid capture from Annie's team, but Annie vowed that this man wouldn't avoid them much longer. She was going to catch him, no matter what she had to do. If she had to use herself for bait, so be it.

**Well, there's chapter 4. I know it was kind of uneventful but trust me, it will pick up soon! I will do my best to write as fast as I can and get the next update up soon, and reviews will always help inspire me! **

**Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know it's been a while since my last update and I apologize for that. My one and a half year old son has strep throat and add that into the Thanksgiving holiday and there wasn't much time left to write! But hopefully I'm back on track now and can get some more chapter written quickly. As usual, reviews will help hurry me along!**

**Hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Annie rolled over and opened her eyes, smiling slightly at Jimmy who was still soundly sleeping. It was early Friday morning and she would have to get up soon and get ready to go in for her MRI. Her knee was still sore and a little puffy, but nothing like it was the first two days after she injured it. She was already sick of being stuck in the office and couldn't imagine what the next few months would bring.

After changing her locks and putting an alarm on the door, Annie had came back home to her apartment. However, Jimmy had not let her out of his sight since she had injured her knee, which was beginning to really play on her nerves. She didn't mind him sleeping over, but during the day she sometimes needed a break. She knew he was just worried about her but if he didn't give her some space she was going to blow up. Not to mention there were people at the office starting to talk.

Diablo had been quiet since the jail break. Some people were saying that father and son probably were on the run, but Annie still didn't think that was the case. There was still no way to prove anything until Diablo made another move. He had disappeared, just like three years ago.

Annie felt Jimmy pull her into him, "Morning," he said as he kissed her on top of the head.

"Morning," she said back.

Jimmy looked at the clock on the nightstand. It read 7:45. "We should probably get ready for your appointment."

"Yea, I'm headed for the shower," she said as she grabbed the crutches that she was now very accustomed to and headed for the bathroom.

Annie fidgeted while they waited for the doctor to come in with the results of the MRI. "Boots, calm down," Jimmy said as he laid his hands over hers.

"I just wish they'd hurry up…I'm so tired of waiting and wondering, you know," she said, trying to still her nerves.

Finally the doctor knocked softly and opened the door. He smiled as he sat down, "Ms. Frost, I have reviewed your scans, and you have indeed torn your acl. It's not as bad as it could have been, it's just a partial tear, but we still have some options to discuss."

Annie nodded, "What does that mean? What are the options?"

"Well, you will have to decide if you want to undergo surgery where your knee will be able to function just like before, or if you just want to go through rehab, which is usually recommended to people who live relatively sedentary lifestyles. Now, I'm guessing your line of work is pretty physically demanding, in which case surgery may be your best option," the doctor said.

Annie rolled her eyes, "How long is the recovery period? How long until I can go back to work?"

The doctor smiled again, which was starting to irritate Annie. "You will need to do therapy for a few weeks to prepare your leg for the surgery. When we feel that you're ready, you will go through the surgery and immediately after you will begin rehab. When athletes go through this process, it usually takes four to six months after surgery before they can return to sports. It all depends on how serious you are about rehab and therapy. You can go back to work immediately, but you may not be chasing any criminals down for a while."

"So, how soon can we do the surgery?" Annie asked.

"Like I said, you have to go through some physical therapy before we will do the surgery. I am going to give you a list of things to do and make you another appointment in a week so I can monitor your progress. I will also set you up with a surgeon who specializes in knee repairs," the doctor said. "Now, do you have any more questions? If not, I'm gonna get you that list and you can be on your way."

"Do I have to stay on these crutches until after the surgery?" Annie asked.

The doctor laughed, "Oh, I'm sorry…you can stop using the crutches when you can bear wait without pain. Don't get in a hurry, you need to let your leg tell you when it's ready. After a few days of therapy you should gain back some control and that will help. I am also going to send a brace with you and I want you to wear it until you feel like you have full control, which may not be until after the surgery." He paused and looked at her seriously, "Now, remember, don't rush yourself. Take as much time as you need. Every person is different. I can't give you an exact timeline."

Annie didn't speak all the way back to the office. Jimmy knew she was upset and he didn't know what to say to her that would make her feel any better. When they made it to the office Daisy came up, anxious to hear the news. Annie went past her without a glance her way. The look on Annie's face kept Daisy from trying to stop her. Instead she waited for Annie to pass and then turned to Jimmy with raised eyebrows, "Bad news?"

"Doctor just confirmed her ACL is torn…she's gotta have surgery in a few weeks. She's not taking it to well," Jimmy said quietly.

"I'll say. How long will she be out?" Daisy asked.

"She can work cases now, but doc said no chasing fugitives until she regains full control and mobility because she could injure it worse. She has to start therapy and try to get her leg ready for the surgery," Jimmy explained.

Annie sat down in her chair at her desk, slamming her crutches down beside her. How the hell was she suppose to do her job when she could barely get around. She was responsible for running this unit and right now she felt like she couldn't even take care of herself, and that was something she had never felt before. She appreciated the help everyone was giving her but she wished they would all just back off and let her figure out how to do it all on her own.

Annie was so deep in thought her phone was on the third ring before she noticed it. "Annie Frost," she said as she flipped it open.

"This is Captain Keller, HPD homicide. I think you might be interested in my crime scene. Guy left a note to you, signed it Diablo," the man said.

Annie's heart skipped a beat, "Where?" was all she could say.

He gave her the address and she said she would be right there. She grabbed her crutches and motioned to Jimmy who was across talking to Marco and Luke.

"What's up?" he asked as he came up to her.

She held up the paper with the address on it, "Diablo's left me another note," she said as she headed for the door.

Jimmy caught up to her without much effort, "Whoa, Annie. You sure you…"

"I'm goin Jimmy," she cut him off. "If you don't like it I'll take Daisy," she said continuing towards the doors.

He shook his head but went and held the door open for her. He knew arguing with her would just result in a fight, so he decided against it.

"What did the note say this time?" Jimmy asked after they were on the way.

"I didn't ask. Keller just said he left a note to me, and he signed it Diablo. I figured that was enough information to let us know we needed to get over there," Annie said staring ahead at the highway.

"I guess so…I just figured you'd have asked what it said," Jimmy said more to himself.

"Jimmy, it doesn't matter what it said. What matters is Diablo has killed again and unless he left something to indicated where he's going or staying, we are no closer to him than we were. So what if he's writing letters to me…that's not going to help us catch him. I'm sick of his damn threats, and I wish I knew how to send him a letter. I'd tell him to quit making idle threats because apparently he's not man enough to follow through with them," Annie said furiously.

Jimmy rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. The rest of the ride to the scene was made in silence. When they got there Jimmy let her get out of the vehicle and make her way to the entrance of the small house without trying to help her. He knew she needed space to process everything the doctor told her, and he knew she would throw herself into work to keep from having to deal with it. He also knew if they didn't get any closer to catching Diablo soon, this case was going to tear her apart.

They entered the house to find several homicide cops and crime scene techs still processing the scene. Captain Keller seen them and met them at the door. "You sure you should be working in that condition?" he asked Annie, not knowing how furious she already was.

Annie glared at him, "You said there was a note," she said snidely.

Keller smiled nervously, "Yes ma'am," he said handing her the paper that was already secured in an evidence bag.

She took it from him and read it to herself.

_Annie, _

_I know you have spent every waking hour looking for me, but don't worry…your time is near. I sincerely hope your fall didn't damage you too much, my intent was never to hurt you. I merely just wanted to see your face, to hear your voice. I have thought about you for three years now, and even though I came back and seen you several times, you never knew I was there. I have never been as attached to a woman as I am to you. Maybe it is because you know me so well. We are more alike than you think. As you know, my dad is a criminal to. The only difference between you and I is that I gave in to what's running through my veins, but you fight it. Every day you fight it. You think your job can help you, but what it really does is let you be who you are and be the hero at the same time. Your still a hunter Annie. You know what it feels like to take a human life. You know the adrenaline rush you get every time you aim your gun and pull that trigger. And instead of giving you a life sentence, they give you a slap on the back. But you know it's all the same. I just wish you could come to your senses soon. I think you would really enjoy working with me. But I know you. You will fight the criminal in your blood until the day you die, which could be soon, so enjoy the time you have left. You can try to hide from me, but one day, I will get to you. There is no one that can stop me. So keep your partner close, I see how protective he is of you. He hasn't left your side since the accident. But know I am watching, and waiting, and I am a very patient man. This victim will tide me over for a while, but there is more to come…I can promise you that. Good bye for now Annie Frost._

_Love Always,_

_Diablo_

Annie was shaking when Jimmy finally took the paper from her and read it himself. She still hadn't moved by the time he had finished. He finally touched her on the shoulder to pull her out of her trance, "Annie, you okay?"

She blinked before she met his eyes, "How…how does he know…about…" she couldn't finish her sentence. No one that she worked with knew about her father, there was very few people in the whole marshal service that knew about him.

Jimmy shook his head, "I don't know, but we're gonna find out…let's get back to the office," he said trying to turn her around.

"No, I want to see the scene," she demanded.

"Annie, you know what your gonna find, all of his scenes are the same," Jimmy protested.

"I wanna see it," she said as she started towards the bedroom.

When she entered, she seen the body of a blond woman stripped naked and tied to all four corners of the bed. Her throat was slashed from ear to ear, and she had several smaller stab wounds on her torso. There was blood splatter on the ceiling, the walls, and covering the sheets. The woman's eyes were open, staring blankly towards the window. They were of course, the same ice blue as Annie's.

Annie shook her head, "What did this woman do for a living?"

"Name's Hanna Green. She was a beat cop out of the 2-3. Her unit said she was well on her way to making detective. That makes the second cop this bastard has killed since he resurfaced. He's got every law enforcement officer in Houston looking for him, he's just not giving us anything to go on," Keller replied.

"I know, but we're gonna catch him. I know what he wants…and we will catch him," Annie promised as she turned and headed for the door.

"After you get the scene processed let me know what you find. We know he's probably driving a pick up with mud grip tires on it but we still don't have a make or model. It's also likely that he's working with his father, so when you get prints or anything else to confirm that, let us know first thing…got it?" Jimmy told Keller before he followed Annie out.

"I'll fax you everything we get," Keller called after him.

Annie was waiting for Jimmy to unlock the escalade when he came out of the house. He hit the unlock button and she climbed into the vehicle, slamming the door behind her. She was wringing her hands together to try to stop them from trembling. Her heart felt like it would pound out of her chest at any moment. She suppressed the tears that were threatening to fall, and slowly her fear and sadness turned to rage.

Jimmy seen her jaw clench and immediately knew which emotion had settled in her. Unlike everyone else, he could read her like a book. Every time a case hit close to home or got personal with Annie, she went through a rollercoaster of emotions. First she felt scared and vulnerable, though she would never, ever admit it. Then came the sadness that she would feel for the victim. Then guilt that it was her fault that the fugitive hadn't been caught, that maybe she had missed something in the investigation. And then came the anger. This is when Jimmy kept his eyes on her, because when the all out rage hit, there was nothing Annie Frost wouldn't do to catch a fugitive. Whether it was jump off of a bridge, or out of a helicopter onto a speeding semi, or take the gamble that she could get to a fugitive who was firing an assault rifle at the police before he could reload. If Annie ever got her eyes on her on her target she wouldn't stop until she caught him or someone stopped her. There had been several occasions that Jimmy had stopped her from doing something that could have very well gotten her killed, and this is what he was most scared of now. He knew if given the chance, Annie would put herself out there for Diablo. He knew it was already on her mind. It didn't matter that she couldn't outrun a two year old at the moment, she would still use herself to bait this maniac up. Jimmy couldn't and wouldn't let her do that. It was too dangerous. There was never a guarantee that nothing would go wrong, and he wasn't willing to take that chance with anyone, especially Annie.

When they pulled back into the parking lot at the office, Annie didn't make a move to exit the vehicle. Jimmy looked over at her, knowing her mind was still on the note. "What is it Annie?" he asked, breaking the silence they had been in the whole way back.

She shook her head, "I don't want that note brought up to the rest of the team," she said, never making eye contact with him.

"I know," he nodded understandingly. "But you have to promise me something in return…"

She looked at him, shocked that he was even putting this up for debate.

He pointed his finger at her and said very seriously, "You make no moves on this case without talking it over with me first."

She smiled sarcastically. He knew his request would make her angry but he also knew she would agree. "So what, because I'm a little banged up you think I'm not capable of doin my job?"

He shook his head, "No Annie. Because you're letting this guy get in your head and that means you're not thinking clearly. You are letting your anger mess with your judgment, and that could get you in trouble, especially because you're a little banged up right now."

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever Jimmy. It's not like you wont be right at my side until we catch him anyways. I feel like a little kid with an overprotective parent. I can't even take a piss without telling you first."

He took a deep breath before he spoke. "Look Annie, I'm sorry. I know I've been suffocating you…but I'm just worried. And I know you can take care of yourself, even if you are banged up, but this guy is dangerous. He has killed two law enforcement officers who probably also thought they could handle themselves, but you seen what he did to them. I couldn't live with myself if something like that happened to you…if anything happened to you. Just please, promise me you'll listen to me this one time, even if you never do again. And when all this is over, you can kick me out of your house and I will give you all the space you need for as long as you want it," Jimmy pleaded.

Annie looked to the floor, "Jimmy, every fugitive we chase down is dangerous and most are just as capable as Diablo."

"Yea, but the difference is all the other fugitives are running from you, this guy is after you. And he's not gonna stop until we get him…or he gets you."

Annie knew he was right, but she was way to stubborn to admit it to him. She shoved the door to the escalade open and jumped out, accidentally putting too much wait on her bad knee. She cringed in pain and Jimmy jumped out and rushed around to her side. By the time he got to her, she had recovered enough to hide what pain she was still feeling.

"You okay?" Jimmy asked concerned.

She grabbed her crutches and shoved past him, "I'm fine," she replied angrily.

He shut her door and followed her into the building. They both made their way to their desks and worked for a while in complete silence. They were both researching the victim who again had several things in common with Annie. Beside's her looks, Hanna Green lived alone and was very dedicated to her job. She had done remarkably well in the academy and was highly recommended when she came into the HPD. She was expected to make detective within the next year and everyone in her unit said that she could go as far as she wanted to in the business. A few of them that Jimmy talked to even said she could have been a marshal if she wanted to.

An hour later Daisy came in, "HPD called. Angela Vasquez is making a move. She's been packing her car up all morning."

Annie and Jimmy looked up simultaneously. "Tell them to tale her. Don't get to close, I don't want them spooking her. She is probably trying to relocate where her husband and son can't find her, but she could also be meeting up with them. I wanna know the second she gets still somewhere. Tell them not to close in on her unless they think she is in danger. Jimmy, have Marco and Luke ready. As soon as we hear from HPD, we're moving in," Annie said as she finally felt like they may have a lead.

Jimmy immediately called Marco and Luke to tell them to get ready. When he got off the phone Annie already had her vest on and was strapping her holster on her leg. "Whoa, what do you think you're doing?" Jimmy asked.

Annie looked at him, "I'm getting ready. As you can see, it takes me a little longer than the rest of you."

Jimmy shook his head, "You're not busting in anywhere, are you crazy? If Angela is going to where Diablo is there is no way you're charging in there with us." Jimmy was trying to keep his patience with her but she was making it hard.

Annie glared at him, "I can stand outside until you guys have cleared wherever it is that Angela is headed. If you think I'm gonna sit here and wait for you to call and update me you're the one that's lost your mind. I'm not stupid Jimmy, and I'm not completely incapable…and if you don't like it, you can stay here." With that Annie finished strapping her holster on, secured her pistol in it, and grabbed her crutches. She was determined that no one was going to stop her from at least being there when they caught this psycho.

Annie headed to the conference room alone. She had all of the details of the case up on the big screen within seconds, and was going over everything over and over again in her mind. While she did this, she propped her crutches up against the table to see how much weight she could stand to bear on her leg. The doctor had told her that she could walk on her knee as soon as she could stand it, and she was determined that she was going to make that as soon as possible. Pain shot up and down her leg as she took the first step, but she pushed through it. She made a complete circle around the big table before sitting back down in the chair where she had began. She slammed her fist down on the table in frustration as the pain continued to worsen.

She heard the door open and didn't need to look up. She already knew who it was. "I'm fine Jimmy. Just leave me alone," she said through clenched teeth. She knew he had probably been watching through the glass and mentally kicked herself for her momentary loss of control.

"You know Boots, it's fine if you're not. There's not many people who could go through what you have with this case and still be standing here anxiously waiting to go after him…again," Jimmy said as he sat down in front of her, forcing her to look at him.

She smiled sadly, "Yea, well, I'm not most people."

Jimmy smiled back, "You got that right. But really, how are you feeling? And I want the truth, not some tough cop speech. I know you better than that Annie. I know this is all bothering you," he said softly, taking her hand and rubbing his thumb across her fingers.

She stared at his hand on hers before she spoke. She knew better than to lie to him. She knew he already could see right through her. She rolled her eyes a little and let a soft sarcastic laugh escape her lips, "I don't know how I'm feeling Jimmy. Mostly angry at the moment. Angry because I can't get around worth a damn, angry because somehow this sick son of bitch knows about my past. But most of all, angry because I feel like I'm not even capable of doin my job anymore. And it's not just because of this," she pointed at her knee. "It's because this guy's got me going in circles. I can usually get in a fugitive's head, but with him…I don't even know where to begin."

Jimmy was a little shocked at her openness. "The knee still hurts pretty bad huh? I seen you trying to walk on it."

She nodded, thankful he didn't try digging any deeper into her emotions. "Yea, I thought I could take it, but…" she trailed off shaking her head.

"It will get better in a few days. We will start on those exercises tonight. The doctor said that would help," Jimmy said.

Daisy opened the door and Annie immediately pulled her hand away from Jimmy. "Angela stopped at a run down motel on the outskirts of Houston. She still hasn't exited her car, but HPD said she had been sitting there at least fifteen minutes," Daisy said, pretending not to notice the contact between the two.

Annie got up grabbing her crutches and trying desperately to block out the pain of her still throbbing knee, "Tell them to hold their positions, we're on our way."

All five marshals piled in Annie's escalade. Jimmy driving and Annie in the passenger's seat staying in contact with the HPD units that were still watching Angela. They made it to the run down neighborhood in less than thirty minutes, thanks to the lights and sirens. "Turn them off," Annie instructed as they got closer. "We should park here so we don't scare her off. She sees any of us and she's gonna bolt."

They parked two blocks away in a secluded parking lot behind a row trees. After everyone else was suited up and properly armed, Annie grabbed her shotgun, earning a stunned look from everyone on the H.E.A.T. team. "Just kidding," she said smiling and slipping the gun back into the weapons safe in the back of the escalade.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, "You had me worried for a second back there," he said as they slowly made their way towards the motel.

Annie smiled back, "Just trying to lighten the mood a little."

After they gathered around the corner of the motel, out of sight so that Angela wouldn't notice any of them, Annie got everyone's attention, "Okay, so here's how it's gonna go down. We send a plain clothes guy into the lobby with photos of Diablo and his father. If we get a positive ID, we clear Angela out if she's still in her car, then we get to the room quickly and quietly. You guys go in first," she pointed at the rest of her team, "and I'll follow behind the HPD units. Be careful, these guys are probably armed and extremely dangerous. Everybody watch your back. Okay, let's do this."

Jimmy waited with Annie while the young cop took the photos around the corner and headed for the lobby. "Annie, be careful okay…let me take the risk if the need arises this time. I won't let you down," he told her.

Annie looked up at him, "Just try not to get yourself hurt, or worse…I'd feel kind of crappy knowing I caused you to do something stupid like jump off a balcony…"

Jimmy laughed, "YOU are telling ME not to jump?"

Annie smiled and looked down at the ground, "I'm telling you to be smart. Look before you leap."

"You sound like me," Jimmy smiled remembering the many times he had had this same conversation with her, only it was always her doing the leaping.

"Yea, I do don't I," she said meeting his eyes again.

They stared at each other for a long moment before the young cop walked back around the corner nodding his head. "We got a positive ID on both. They are in room 238, and the woman is still in her car."

Annie finally broke eye contact with Jimmy, "You two," she said pointing at two cops, "get Angela in your car and get her away. Proceed with caution, she could be armed. We all need to move in at the same time, if she sees us before you get to her, she may try to warn them."

The marshals and the HPD units headed towards the corner in a single unit. Just as the HPD car started towards Angela, Annie looked over to Jimmy, "Let's go get him," she smiled. He nodded back, "Let's get him good," he said as he took the lead and she fell back behind the rest of the officers. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she reached the first step behind the rest of the officers. 'This could get interesting,' she thought to herself as she handed her crutches to the officer in front of her and used the rail to help herself hop up the stairs.

**Well, there it is. I know it's pretty unrealistic to have Annie still barging in with the rest of the team, buy hey, it's Annie and she's a bad ass! I was going to have her wait at the office but that seemed way to out of character for her!**

**Let me know what you all think…can't wait to hear from you!**

** {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{PLEASE REVIEW}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is the next installment to this crazy story…I know some parts may be a little unrealistic and I apologize…don't worry though, Annie will get reprimanded for her actions later on!**

**Thank you for all the reviews! Keep them coming and I will do my best to hurry the story along!**

Chapter 6

When Annie reached the top of the stairs and got her crutches back, Jimmy and the others were already in position at the number 238 door. Jimmy glanced back at Annie and she gave him a nod. He banged on the door, "US Marshals, Open Up!" he yelled. After a second Luke knocked the door in and the marshals charged in.

Just then Annie heard a noise from the next room over. A few seconds later the door to room 237 flew open and out came Juan Vasquez, almost knocking Annie over the balcony. One of the HPD cops grabbed her arm to keep her from falling over. As quickly as she recovered she grabbed her gun from her holster and yelled, "US Marshals, stop…" but of course he didn't.

Jimmy ran out the door when he heard the commotion, "Annie," he yelled as he seen her with her weapon drawn.

"Jimmy, GO GET HIM!" she demanded as she pointed after Vasquez. Jimmy took off after him, followed by Luke and Marco. Daisy came out behind them, "The room's clear Annie," she said but Annie was already headed down the stairs trying to see where the chase had went. "Dammit," she said slamming one of her crutches into the wall in anger.

"Annie, there's something in here you may want to see," Daisy said as she carefully made her way up to Annie.

She nodded and followed her back into the room. On the desk inside there were several pictures. Most of them were of Annie, but there were a few with other blonde females. "Daisy, I want you to find out who these women are immediately. They have to be his next targets and we need to get to them before he does." Annie handed Daisy all the pictures of the other women, and then started to sift through the ones of herself. There were a few from the past years when Diablo was on the lam but the most recent ones were what disturbed Annie the most. There were some from before her injury. The ones that caught Annie's attention and sent chills up her spine were of her and Jimmy. They were taken through her living room window the night that the McGraw case ended. The night her and Jimmy got together. There was one picture where they were just talking, drinks in hand…but there was one that they were doing a lot more. Annie grabbed the picture and folded it, tucking it safely into her shirt pocket and praying that Daisy didn't already see it. There were a few more of her and Jimmy but he was just helping her in her house or vehicle after the injury. Everyone already knew Jimmy was not letting her out of his sight so she left those pictures alone. She was shocked that Diablo hadn't said anything about her and Jimmy in his letter.

After going through all of the pictures, Annie searched through the rest of the room. She found some rope, a .22 caliber pistol, and a cell phone. The rope was no doubt the same kind used to tie up the last two victims. Maybe the gun was how Diablo got the women to give in so easy. Maybe he says he won't shoot them if they do what he says. By the time he's done they probably wish that he would have shot them. It would have been far less painful.

Annie flipped open the cell. It was cheap and no doubt pre paid, therefore untraceable. She hit the redial button and put it to her ear. Angela Vasquez's voicemail started playing after the fourth ring. Annie then went to the only other number in the phonebook. It had to be Diablo's number. She decided she would wait to make that call. More than likely it would be untraceable as well, but she didn't want to take any chances.

Daisy came back in, "HPD is working on identifying the women. You find anything else in here?"

Annie showed Daisy the rope and the cell phone. "How about the pictures, you look through them?"

Annie felt herself blush a little and she turned away to try and hide it from Daisy, "Yea, he's been stalking me. There are pictures from before he resurfaced until a few days ago."

Daisy shook her head as she looked at the pictures. "Man, he's really got it in for you. Looks like he's been tailing you pretty much every day."

Just then the cell phone Annie found in the room began to ring. She looked at Daisy as she flipped it open. "Hello," she said.

"Annie Frost," Annie instantly recognized the voice. "I see you found where we were staying. My father has such a bad habit of trying to talk my mother into forgiving him. And my mother is stupid enough to let him talk her into it every time. I guess you know what that's like though, don't you Annie?"

"What do you want Willy?" Annie asked through clenched teeth. It was all she could do to keep her cool.

"You already know what I want. I want you, and I will have you one way or the other. In due time Annie, in due time. Tell your boyfriend I said hello," Diablo said as he disconnected the call.

Annie reared her arm back with every intention of throwing the phone across the room, but Daisy caught her hand before she could. "I got something Annie, the call was coming from this tower here," she pointed at her computer.

"He's headed back into the city," Annie said.

"Yea, but as soon as he hung up we lost the signal. It's prepaid, so it's untraceable," Daisy said.

Just then Jimmy came back in with sweat pouring off his forehead, "We lost him Boots, he got to much of a head start and apparently they had a planned escape route."

"Just like at my apartment. Dammit," Annie said throwing her head back in frustration. "Maybe Angela can tell us something. Let's get back and get her into an interview room."

When they got back, Annie told Marco, Luke, and Daisy to go see if HPD had identified the women in the pictures yet. When those three had walked into the building Annie looked to Jimmy, "He knows about us," she said looking up at him.

"Who Diablo? How do you know that?" Jimmy asked a little confused.

Annie pulled the folded picture out of her pocket and handed it to Jimmy. He looked back up at her, not sure what to say.

"He could ruin us Jimmy. If he decides to out us…what are we gonna do," she said, throwing one hand up in frustration.

"Look Annie, I don't know about you, but I'm in this. All the way in. And sooner or later, people are going to find out. Now they may separate us as far as work goes, but then again they may not. We have to prove that we can work together and not let things get complicated here," he pointed to the building they worked in. "We can't control everything, but we have to believe that it will all work out. I'm not willing to walk away from this, from you, just because the higher ups don't think we should be together."

Annie looked away from him. Lord knows she felt the same way, but she was still afraid of diving in headfirst, not knowing what was going to happen in the future. She just wasn't that kind of person. Personal experience had taught her that it's the people you love the most, the people you depend on, that will rip you apart in the end. She finally looked back up at him. "This…this is hard for me. I need you to remember that. This job is the one constant in my life that I can be one hundred percent certain about…each day when I wake up, I know that it's gonna be here. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth. I have learned not to depend on anyone but myself, so it's gonna be hard for me to completely let you in. You are gonna want to strangle me at times, but just be patient. And Jimmy…don't hurt me. If you ever want out, just promise me that you won't leave, won't just walk away with no warning. I don't think I could handle that a second time in this life. Promise me that we will never lose what we had before, even if we don't make it as a couple. I can't lose you as a friend. It's pathetic, but you're the best one I've ever had." Annie took a trembling breath. She had never been that open with him, or anyone for that matter. Emotions were something she just didn't talk about, and she felt a little embarrassed and exposed having shared that much with him at one time.

He smiled sweetly at her, "Boots, I would never walk away from you. You know that. No matter what happens in the future, you got me…always. And for the record, I am not a pathetic friend, I actually think I am a very good friend," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She playfully hit him with a crutch, "You know what I mean," she said laughing.

He laughed too, "What do ya say we go interview this gal and see what we can find out. Let's not worry about someone outing us right now, we will cross that bridge when we have to."

She nodded, following him inside.

"So you're telling me you have no idea what your husband and son are up to. Juan just called and invited you to his motel room and you packed up everything you could fit into your car and went to meet him, just because he said he was sorry?" Annie said mockingly to a teary eyed Angela Vasquez.

"He said he wanted to make all the past years up to me. He promised me a better life, no money problems, no worries. All I had to do was be willing to leave my life here behind. I know you don't understand, but I don't have anything here. Nothing that matters enough to hang onto. I swear I don't know what they were planning, but he made this new life sound so great. It wasn't until I got to the motel that I started having doubts. He didn't even know for sure if I was coming. I never should have went there. I never should have listened to him, believed him," Angela cried.

"No…you shouldn't have. They tied you to a chair and stole your account numbers, your credit cards. That should have been a pretty good sign that you couldn't trust them," Annie said rolling her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I should have called you guys after Juan contacted me. But I am telling you the truth now. You have to believe me," Angela pleaded.

Annie got up and went out of the room. "I think she's telling the truth. All she knew was where they were. She has no idea where they're headed," she told Jimmy and Daisy who were waiting on the other side.

"You think she's trustworthy enough to let her try and set up a meet with him again?" Jimmy asked.

Annie shook her head, "I think once Juan starts talking, he can talk her into whatever he wants her to believe. He seems to have that kind of power over her. I mean, why else would she listen to him after what he did to her. Plus I think Diablo is gonna be watchin' his father closer from now on. That's the closest he has ever came to getting caught, he won't let Juan make that mistake again."

"Good point," Jimmy said. "I guess we need to just hold her on obstruction until we catch them. Or catch Juan anyways. If not she could end up getting herself killed."

"Ugh, this sucks. She could have made this so easy…if only she'd have called us." Annie leaned back against the door.

"Maybe we should try it anyways. Just let her try and set it up, but don't turn her lose. It's not like we have anything else to go on," Daisy suggested.

"We have the pictures of the women. And we know he's stalking Annie," Jimmy said.

"He also knows all of that. He's gonna have to regroup on his future victims. He knows if he goes after the women in the photos that we'll be ready for him, and he's to smart for that. He's probably also to smart to know that we will just set Angela free. If we do this, we gotta be smart about it. She cant try to contact them for a few days at least. And even then, we have her husband's phone. She may not even have her son's number to try and contact him. Daisy, check on all of this…if everything works out, we will try and pull it off in a few days. Probably not gonna work but there's no harm in tryin," Annie said turning to head towards her desk.

As soon as she sat down her desk phone rang. She took a breath before picking it up, "This is Annie."

"Frost, my office…now," the Chief said sounding angry.

Annie took another deep breath. She knew he was going to bench her. She got up, testing out her leg. If she could just walk into his office with no crutches it would at least look a little better. After a couple steps she knew that wasn't going to happen. She grabbed the crutches irritated and made her way to the chief's office.

"Come in," he said gruffly as she knocked softly on his door. He shook his head when he seen her limp into his office on the crutches. "What the hell were you thinking going to a takedown like that. I knew you were crazy because you have jumped from buildings, copters, bridges and so on, but you must have completely lost your damn mind. Do you know the kind of danger you put yourself into…not to mention the rest of your team and all the HPD officers at the scene. They may all be to scared of you to say anything, but I'm your boss, and I am anything but scared of you. I should suspend you without pay until your completely over this thing, maybe then you would think about things a little harder before you go bailing off the side of your next building."

He paused until she looked up at him, "Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry. It was stupid of me and I should have known better. It wont happen again…" Annie said, feeling anger rise up inside her.

"You damn right it wont. Look Annie, I know this case is personal for you. And I know you want this guy worse than anyone else. But this time you are going to have to let your team do your leg work for you. Now, I'm not going to pull you off the case…yet. But one more stunt like that, and you're done until you have fully recovered…no matter how long that takes. Next time your team goes to a takedown…wait with an officer until everything is cleared before you go to the scene. Got it?" the Chief asked, easing up a little but still stern enough to let her know he was serious.

"Yes sir," was all she could say.

The Chief took a deep breath, "You guys have anything new. This maniac's mother give you anything?"

"No, claims she has no idea what they are planning…and I am pretty sure she's telling the truth," Annie told him as she turned to go… "Is that all Chief?"

"Annie, take it easy…give yourself some time to heal. I know how tough it is not to be able to do everything you are use to, but if you take your time and listen to your doctor, you will be back out there chasing fugitives before you know it," he said smiling.

She smiled back, "Thanks Chief."

When Annie got back to her desk Jimmy looked up, "Where you been?"

"Just got my ass chewed by the Chief. I guess I deserved it though. I was stupid to go on that takedown…I should have waited at the car. I put you and everyone else in danger…I'm sorry," she said shaking her head.

Jimmy looked at her stunned, "You're what? I think I must be hearing things because the infamous Annie Frost just apologized for something that I told her she shouldn't have done in the first place," he said sarcastic but still smiling.

She went past him and threw her crutches down before taking a seat, "You're not funny Jimmy. You have no idea how bad this sucks."

Jimmy smiled again when he turned to face her, "What? Apologizing or getting your ass chewed out by the Chief?"

She picked up an apple from her desk and threw it at him. He ducked and laughed, and the apple flew past him and was caught by Daisy who was walking towards them. Daisy smiled at the still laughing Jimmy. Annie couldn't help but join him in the laughter, "You're such an ass," she said.

"What's goin on over here?" Daisy asked as she handed Annie the apple, who chunked it back at Jimmy who wasn't expecting it. This time it caught him right in the side of the head.

"Not so funny now is it?" Annie said sarcastically as Jimmy rubbed his head. Daisy laughed, still not knowing why the two were fighting.

Annie looked to Daisy, a more serious look coming to her face, "We get an ID on any of the women yet?"

Daisy nodded, "Two of them, HPD's still working on the third. Here is the name's of the ones we have. They have already been contacted and are being brought in as we speak."

Annie opened the first file, "First one's Casey Johns, 33. Single detective, works in narcotics. Lives alone in West Houston. Second is a Mika Stevens, 31. Also a detective with the sex crimes unit. Lives alone a few blocks from where she works. He is staying true to his pattern. All cops, blond with blue eyes, single and independent. I want to talk to these women. Keep working on the third. As soon as you figure out who she is, have HPD get her in here as well."

An hour later Annie sat in front of the two women detectives. "I'm Annie Frost. As you know, both of you have been targeted by a man we have been pursuing for quite some time. His name is Willy Vasquez, but goes by Diablo. These pictures were found in the rat hole motel where he and his father were staying up until a few hours ago." Annie laid the photos down in front of the two women. "Now I know both of you are cops, and you feel like you can take care of yourself. But trust me, I thought the same thing and look at me now. This guy is smart. He may or may not come after you. What I would like to do is put a couple details on each of you. Diablo has been stalking you for who knows how long, and if he does continue to do so, we might get lucky and catch him in the act," Annie paused to see if either woman was going to object.

"I'm up for that. I have heard the horror stories about this psycho and I am willing to do anything I can to help catch him," Detective Johns said.

"Yea, I'm in," Detective Stevens added.

"Okay, I still want you two watching your backs at all times. If either of you have a boyfriend it may not be a bad idea for him to stay over for a few nights. Not saying you need his protection, but Diablo is less likely to come after you if you're not alone." Annie suggested.

"I thought you said you would have two details on us all the time," Johns said.

Annie nodded, "This guy is smart, he has evaded us more times than I can count. I just want to take every precaution there is to make sure you two stay safe."

Stevens spoke up after a few minutes, "How about a third detail outside, or inside our apartment. I would love to say this maniac doesn't scare me, but I work in sex crimes and have seen photos of his crime scenes. I knew Rachel Meeks well enough to know that she was a tough, hard nosed cop and if he could get to her like that, he can get to just about anyone."

Annie nodded, "That's a good idea. We can have a plain clothes cop enter your building an hour or so before you, that way he can go on up to your places and clear them before you get there. Plus, it will look less suspicious than if you walked in together."

Detective Johns looked to Annie, "He's stalking you to…right?"

Annie nodded, smiling softly. "Yea, he is."

"Do you have protection? I know you're a marshal and all, but if he gets to you…like that…there's not much you could do to protect yourself" Johns said staring at Annie's braced knee.

Annie smiled and nodded, "Yea, don't worry. I am gonna set up my own details as well. Here is my cell number. Call anytime if either of you need anything," she said handing the two detectives a card with her cell number written on the back.

After the two women left Annie went out and made sure the details were in place. She updated the team and Daisy said they still had not identified the third woman in the photos. She wasn't a cop like the other two, and as far as they knew she didn't work with any kind of law enforcement. HPD had sent out flyers with her picture to every precinct in Houston and still had not received any hits, but they would keep trying. With any luck, they would have an ID in the next twenty four hours.

Annie sat back down at her desk exhausted. It was nearing six o'clock and she was more than ready to head home. Jimmy was talking to Marco and Luke across the room and noticed how tired she looked sitting at her desk. "You ready to call it a day? We could head out and grab a beer, Daisy said she's in. It would also give your details a chance to see if they could get a glimpse of Diablo, seeing that he is obviously following your every move," Jimmy suggested.

Annie nodded, "Sounds great. I could use a drink after today. Let's just not stay out to late though, I'm ready for a hot shower and a soft pillow."

Annie, Jimmy, and Daisy sat at a small corner table at the bar they often frequented around the corner from their office. "So, how you holdin up?" Daisy asked, looking to Annie.

"I'm fine. Just sick of these crutches and this brace," Annie said.

"I wasn't talking about your knee…" Daisy said.

Jimmy got up, "I'm gonna get us another round," he said as he headed for the bar.

Annie looked back to Daisy, "I know. I just wish I could get a better read on this asshole. I can't seem to get into his head, you know. Usually I can read them, figure out what their next move is. But this one is different."

Daisy nodded understandingly. "So…what's up with you and Jimmy?" she asked, catching Annie completely by surprise and causing her to slightly choke on her drink.

Annie looked at Daisy, hiding her nervousness that the question had caused, "What do you mean?"

Daisy smiled, "You know what I mean. Come on Annie, I'm not stupid. I can see a change in you two."

Annie stared her down, contemplating her next statement carefully, "Is this about the pictures?" she asked, careful to word the question so she wouldn't give anything away if Daisy hadn't seen the one she was referring to.

Daisy grinned, "Maybe. I didn't want to bring it up at the scene. It wasn't the right place. But Annie, are you sure you two know what you're getting yourself into?"

Annie looked down and played with the label on her beer, "No," she said simply. She shook her head and closed her eyes. "It…was never suppose to happen. But it did, and now…I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place."

Daisy smirked, "I understand. You're not the only one that crossed that line, but the difference is I came back to the other side."

Annie's eyes widened, "With who?" she asked in disbelief.

Daisy shook her head, "You know, you are my boss, and I don't wanna get in trouble."

Annie rolled her eyes, "Oh come on Daisy, I think it's pretty clear that I don't have the right to scold you."

Daisy smiled again, "It was with Luke. After the Puckett case."

"Wow. What happened?" Annie asked, glancing to make sure Jimmy was still in line at the bar.

"We went out to grab a drink, and ended up drunk and naked in my bed. We just, both had a hard day. It was purely physical, nothing more…but you and Jimmy? What is that?" Daisy asked, taking a sip of her beer.

Annie shook her head and glanced over at him at the bar, "It's…complicated. Jimmy and I, we were already close. He knows…pretty much all there is to know about me, and not many people do. He understands me better than anyone, sometimes better than I understand myself. Listen to me…what am I saying…" she trailed off and took a long drink.

"No, I get it. I'm just amazed that it took you two this long to get together. I think it's great…the Chief on the other hand…" Daisy grinned again.

Jimmy finally walked back over with three fresh beers. "Ladies…sorry I took so long. It's a busy night up there."

Annie smiled at him and looked down, leaning into him a little when he slid back into the booth beside her. "Did I miss something?" Jimmy asked looking back and forth between the two women.

Annie looked at him and then at Daisy, "She knows about us…" she said, looking back to Jimmy.

Jimmy looked a little shocked, "How? You told her?"

"She seen the picture," Annie said, a little embarrassed.

Jimmy smiled and looked to Daisy, "Well, I'm glad you don't like to talk as much as Marco. Otherwise, the whole Marshals service would know already." He took a long drink from his beer.

"You don't have to worry, you're secrets safe with me. All I'm gonna say is congratulations, it's about damn time." Daisy held her beer up as if to toast them before she drank from it.

After they finished their third beer Jimmy put his arm around Annie, "Boots, what do you say we get you home? I know you've gotta be tired."

Annie nodded, "Yea, I'm more than ready for bed," she said scooting herself out of the booth carefully.

Daisy smirked, "I'll bet you are," she muttered as she to stood up.

Annie wadded her napkin up and flung it at Daisy, "Shut up," she laughed.

"Just sayin, at least one of us can look forward to getting…"

"Daisy," Annie said quickly, interrupting her before she could finish her sentence.

Daisy just grinned, "Be careful guys. See ya tomorrow."

Annie and Jimmy had went home and both took showers. "Well, Daisy took the news pretty well. Did you know about her and Luke?" Annie asked. She had told Jimmy the story on the way home from the bar.

"I had my suspicions about them. Luke follows her with his eyes too much. I knew either something happened or he wanted it to. Daisy doesn't act like anything happened though," Jimmy said.

"Yea, she said it was purely physical. I have a hunch Luke may want it to be more," Annie said with raised eyebrows.

"Yea, I hope he gets over that soon. Luke and Daisy…not a good idea," Jimmy said shaking his head.

"Yea, but it's not like we can say anything…I mean, look at us," Annie said rolling her eyes a little.

"We're different. We have known each other forever, and worked together for years. They have known each other and worked together for about two months. It would probably never work out and when it didn't things would get awkward between them and it may be hard for them to work together," Jimmy explained.

Annie looked away from him and down to the floor. Jimmy noticed her change in demeanor. He walked over to her and pulled her close, "What is it Boots?"

She shook her head as she leaned into him, "What if it…doesn't work…between us? What then Jimmy?"

"Don't think like that. Besides, we have a lot of experience with fighting and making up already. We will be fine, no matter what. If someday we decide we are not good together as a couple, we will make that decision together and we will be fine after that. Don't worry yourself so much," he said pulling her chin up and kissing her softly on the lips.

She smiled sweetly. It was a side of her that he still wasn't use to seeing. He loved it though. That small sweet smile was what made his whole day. He sat down on the bed and pulled her to him. He laid down, pulling her gently on top of him, being careful with her knee. He pushed her hair back from her face and stared into her eyes before pulling her into a deeper kiss.

When things started intensifying, Jimmy gently flipped them over so that he was now above her. He ran his hand up and down her side under her pajama top, and then she started tugging at his clothes as well. That's when Annie's cell started to ring. "You gotta be kiddin," she said as she grabbed at her phone. "Annie Frost," she said trying to catch her breath.

No one said anything, but Annie could tell someone was there. "Hello?" she tried again. Still no one talked, there was just the sound of breathing. She looked at Jimmy and shook her head.

He took the phone and put it to his ear. "Who is this?" he asked. As quick as he got his question out he heard a click. Whoever it was had hung up. Jimmy hit end on the phone and handed it back to Annie, "Must have been a wrong number."

"Or it was him," Annie said quietly.

Jimmy pulled her close, "Let's not think about it. Let's just get some sleep. Lord knows we both need it."

She let herself relax into him and soon she was dozing off. Somewhere across town Diablo stared at the phone he had just hung up. "He's with her. It's going to be hard to find them apart. But I have an idea. We keep on calling, write more notes, and it will push them closer and closer until they explode. I know her, and she will not take his over protectiveness for too long before she starts pushing him away. We just have to be patient, and sooner or later, we will have our chance," he told his father who nodded in approval.

"In the meantime, we have a cute little blonde here to play with," Juan said as he turned back to the blonde they had tied to the motel bed. She was still unconscious at the moment, but she would be awake soon and the fun would begin.

**Hope you enjoyed chapter six…I hope to keep the updates coming every few days, so please review and let me know what you think! Do you all like the length of the chapters or had you all rather me shorten them and update more frequently? Let me know…I aim to please!**

** PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Finally, here is the next installment…I know it has been forever and I thank all of you for your patience and reviews! Please keep them coming. I apologize for mistakes ahead of time. I was in a hurry to post this so I didn't get to check over it as many times as I had wanted. Please read and review…and I promise to try and get the next chapter up much quicker than this one!**

Chapter 7

The next morning the whole team was at their desks drinking coffee. Annie's decided she would go to the office gym and start on some therapy for her knee. She grabbed the list that the doctor had sent with her and headed towards the gym.

"Where you headed?" Jimmy asked when he seen her move.

"Therapy. I should have already started it. I'm gonna go in the gym and start…I'll be fine, finish your coffee and come get me if something comes up.

When Annie entered the large room filled with workout equipment she took a relieved breath when she found it empty. This was probably going to be painful and the last thing she wanted was an audience. She took out the list and read over the different exercises. Then she set down on the bench and slowly took off her brace. After changing into some basketball shorts and a t-shirt she kept in her locker to work out in, she sat on the floor and started with the exercises the doctor said she should master first. The doctor said she should work her knee until it became too painful, then stop and pick back up the next day. A half hour later, Annie was pushing herself to keep going, even though the pain was becoming excruciating.

She heard the door open and looked up to see Jimmy coming towards her with a slip of paper in his hand. "Mika Stevens is missing, her Captain just called…she never showed up for work. She's not answering her home or cell phone, so they just sent her details up to her apartment to see what's going on…we are still waiting to hear back from them."

Annie was staring at Jimmy, completely horrified. "He's got her Jimmy…that's how he got my number." Jimmy looked at her confused, "Last night, it was him that called me…it wasn't a wrong number. Dammit, I should have tried to trace it. I should have thought to call the two detectives and warn them. Why the hell didn't I think. Son of a bitch!" Annie said, getting up and limping over to where her crutches were laying. Her knee was throbbing but she was to pissed off to care.

Jimmy bent down and handed her the crutches. "Annie, don't get ahead of yourself. Let's wait till we hear back from the details. In the meantime, keep your shorts on, I will meet you back at your desk with some ice for that knee."

Annie leaned back in her chair at her desk, trying to push the pain out of her mind. She took some ibuprofen to try and keep her knee from swelling after working it, but she knew there was no way it would be strong enough to even take the edge off of the pain. Jimmy came out of the lounge with a bag of ice wrapped in a towel and gently place it on her knee. She winced, and concern flashed over Jimmy's face. "You worked it too hard," he stated.

She shook her head, pushing the pain aside as best as she could, "You hear back from the details yet?"

"Still waiting," Jimmy said. His phone rang as if on cue. After a short conversation he disconnected and looked back to Annie. The cop that was in Steven's apartment was found just inside the door. His throat was slit. His gun was found at his side, he probably tried to draw on his attacker but wasn't fast enough. There was sign of a struggle in the bathroom. Apparently Stevens was in the shower when she was abducted. They didn't find any blood there, so there is a possibility she is still alive."

The color drained from Annie's face as she shook her head, "Fat chance. Diablo hasn't left a live victim yet. How the hell did he get past the details?" she asked.

"They are pulling security tapes now. I told them to rush them to our office. I figured it would be faster than us trying to get to them," Jimmy told her.

They updated the rest of the team while waiting for the tapes. A half hour later the whole team was gathered in the conference room along with some of the HPD that had been working the case along side the marshals. Jimmy put the first tape in and hit play. After what seemed like forever, there was a woman and a man that entered the apartment complex. The man had a cap on that was pulled down so that his face was hard to see. The woman was smiling, but something about the way the man had his arm wrapped around her a little too tightly caught both Annie and Jimmy's attention. After watching it several times, they decided that had to be Diablo. They watched the two enter the building and get on the elevator, and that's where the security footage ended.

"Daisy, find out who that woman is and have HPD check on her. She has to live in the building, that's how he gained access. Luke, get footage from every security camera that could have gotten them leaving the building. There is an exit at the back of the building that is always locked from the outside, but not from the inside. That had to be how he got her out. The details were only stationed at the front of the building, and he slipped right passed them." Annie spit out the orders and the team jumped into action.

Two hours later Daisy and Marco came back from the apartment complex and found Jimmy, Annie, and Luke in the conference room watching the security tapes Luke had came up with. Annie looked up when Daisy and Marco entered, "What did you find?"

Daisy shook her head, "Her name is Shawna Reid. The son of a bitch beat her up pretty badly. She said he found her in the parking lot across the street. He had a gun under his coat, and told her to act like they were a couple and get him into the building, and that if she didn't make it a believable performance he would kill her. He promised if she got him in he would let her go because he was more interested in someone else in the building. She said she went along with him, smiling while he held his arm around her and pretended to nuzzle into her. She said he told her how good she was doing and as soon as she unlocked the door to her apartment, he shoved her in and told her to get him a chair. She was scared, and begged him not to hurt her, and when she didn't go after the chair he began hitting her. After he knocked her around he tied her to a chair from the kitchen table and gagged her. He told her she was lucky that she wasn't his type, and when the cops found her to tell them he would have something for them soon. That's all she could remember. They took her to the hospital to get checked out if you want to talk to her, but I don't think she can tell us anything else," Daisy finished.

Annie nodded, pointing to the big screen, "Luke found somethin from one of the traffic cameras. We think Diablo is drivin a late 90's model dark colored Chevy truck, extended cab. It was too dark to get the license number but at least now we kind of know what we're lookin for. The truck passed through the light just south of the apartment complex about twenty minutes after Diablo entered the building with Reid."

After going over the rest of the tapes Luke had brought in, the team concluded that the truck had to be what Diablo was driving, unless of course, he had taken some alternate route that had no traffic cameras, which was unlikely considering the building was located in a pretty busy part of town. The only other vehicles to come through at the time of Stevens abduction were cars and small SUVs, and according to the tire tracks at the jail break crime scene, the truck was the only possible vehicle that those tires would have fit on. "Jimmy, talk to your buddy at the news station. People need to be on the lookout for a suspicious male in a late 90's model extended cab dark Chevy pick up with mud grip tires. Daisy, take a composite artist to the hospital and see if Reid can give us a sketch of what Diablo looked like with his hat and jacket on. Chances are, if he goes anywhere in public, he's gonna try and disguise himself the same way as he did last night. Get the sketch back here and Jimmy can fax it to the news station."

Jimmy looked at Annie, "Okay Boots, but get ready to hear a lot of complaining from the people that have to answer the phones to all these tips we're gonna get. Do you know how many trucks matching that description are driving around the Houston area?"

"Trust me Jimmy, I know…but we have to do something to warn the public. You have a better idea?" she snapped back.

He held his hands up defensively. "No…no. I'm just warning you." He got up and headed to his desk to make the call.

As soon as Annie got back to her desk her cell phone rang, "Annie Frost," she said not bothering to check the ID.

After a moment of silence Annie heard a female voice whisper, "Help me."

Annie immediately looked at Marco and desperately started pointing at her phone. He instantly knew that she wanted him to trace the call, and he jumped into action. Annie then turned her attention back to the phone, "Mika…is that you?"

"Yes…you have to…help me," Mika Stevens said weakly.

"Just hold on Mika…we are trying to find you. Can you tell me anything that will help?" Annie pleaded.

Then she heard the phone being jerked away… "No no Boots," a raspy male voice laughed, making the hairs on the back of Annie's neck stand up. "That would ruin our little game. Don't worry, you will find her soon enough. Take care now."

The phone disconnected, causing Marco to shove his chair back, "Dammit, I got nothing. This guy's good Annie. Untraceable number."

Annie slowly set her phone on her desk and sank into her chair. Jimmy noticed how pale she was and rushed to her side, "What is it Boots? What did he say?"

Annie shook her head, trying to clear it, "He called me that…he called me Boots," she said softly with a blank stare still on her face.

Jimmy shook his head as well, "He's trying to get to you…make everything more personal. Don't let him."

She finally looked at him, "How the hell did he know to call me that. You're pretty much the only person that calls me that Jimmy. He has been close enough to hear us at some point…what else has he heard?" she whispered.

Jimmy looked at her seriously, "We've talked about this…stop worrying about it Annie. It's out of our control. If he wanted to rat us out, he would have done it already. He wants to use us…to get to you," he said pointing at her. He thought for a minute and made a mental note to go over her apartment when they went home that night. He could have planted some kind of bug when he broke in not long ago. If so he had probably been trying to keep tabs on the investigation as well as get all the personal information about Annie that he could.

Annie grabbed her phone. "What are you doin?" Jimmy asked.

"Calling Casey Johns to warn her, and then I'm going to up her security. I want a guard outside her apartment door when she is home. We can't let this happen again," Annie said as she looked up the number in her phonebook.

After Annie was finished, she joined the others in the conference room. "Brad said if we can get him the composite sketch ASAP he would get it and the vehicle description on the six o'clock news. He said if we want him to add anything else just let him know, he's more than ready to help all he can," Jimmy told her.

"Yea well, unfortunately we don't have anything else," Annie said disgustedly. "This son of a bitch is giving us just enough to leave us chasin our tails."

An hour later Daisy was back with the sketch. Jimmy had it faxed to his friend at the news station within minutes, and when the news came on it was the headline story. Shortly after that, tips started rolling in. People were showing up at the doors with pictures of trucks and men in baseball caps that they had taken with their cell phones. Annie and the rest of the team spent hours talking to people that seemed to have credible tips, but in the end all they had were hundreds of pictures and no way to know which, if any was the right one. They had compared every picture to the one on the traffic camera, and threw out the ones that were definitely not the same truck. However, they still had around twenty pictures that would have to be looked at much closer.

"I'll put the coffee on, it looks like it's gonna be a long night," Marco said heading towards the lounge.

Annie stretched her arms and stood up for the first time in hours. Her knee felt much better due to the fact she had been on her butt far more than her feet all day. She limped around her desk for a minute before settling back down to go over the pictures more closely. Jimmy brought her a cup of coffee and pulled his chair up next to hers. "Let me see some," he said motioning towards the pictures.

They both sat quietly for several minutes comparing each picture to the picture of the truck that they had copied from the security tape. Finally Jimmy spoke, "Take a look at this…same tires and wheels, and right there it looks like there's a dent on the finder," he pointed to what would look like a shadow to the naked eye.

Annie took the picture and held a magnifying glass over where Jimmy was pointing, then over the truck in the security picture. "The same dent that's in Diablo's truck right here," she said pointing at the other picture and smiling.

Jimmy smiled back, "Yea, and look here," he held up another picture, "They also took a picture of the license plate," he said.

Annie brightened and jumped to her feet, "Jimmy, put a bolo out on this truck. We gotta find out where this picture was taken and what time, and then I want every available HPD officer patrolling until we find this truck. If it's on any highway in Houston, I want it found ASAP. They need to start where this picture was taken and expand out. I want every side street and back road within a twenty mile radius covered by morning."

For the next hour everyone was busy coordinating with the HPD. Twenty units were dispatched to start where the picture had been taken and expand out, hitting every street and back road they came across. The license plate number of the truck was radioed to every patrolling officer in Houston. If Diablo was in his truck Annie and her team would know soon.

It was now nearing midnight and everything was getting quiet. Annie was sitting at her desk sipping coffee and wondering how Mika Stevens was doing. She kept staring at the phone and praying it would ring and someone would say that they found her and she was alive. That was all Annie could hope for, that Mika was still alive. It was so hard to sit and wait when everything inside her told her she should be doing more. This case was eating at her now more than ever. Usually she could find a way to detach herself from the victims, but usually she had never met them. She had sat down and had a conversation with this woman a day ago. She had personally arranged for this woman's security. Mika Stevens had relied on Annie to keep her safe, and Annie had failed. Yes, Mika was a cop and had assured Annie that she could handle herself but that didn't make her feel any less guilty.

Jimmy and Daisy were across the room talking with Mika's captain who had came in to help with the investigation however he could. Unfortunately, until there was something else to go on there wasn't much anyone could do but wait. Jimmy was watching Annie out of the corner of his eye. He knew she was taking Mika's abduction hard and that she felt as if it was her fault. After reassuring Mika's captain that they were doing all they could, Jimmy walked towards Annie, "How you holdin up?"

Annie looked at him sadly, "Better than Mika Stevens. If we don't find her by morning…" she trailed off but Jimmy knew where her train of thought was going. That soon Mika Stevens would be dead.

"I know…we are doing everything we can. We have every cop in Houston looking for this asshole, we'll find him." Jimmy tried reassuring her but he knew there was nothing anyone could say that would help right now.

"Yea, but it will probably be too late," she said as she stood up. "I just wanna be out there, you know. I feel like we should be doing something."

Jimmy nodded, "I know."

Just then Daisy walked up excitedly, "Call just came in from Ben Taub. EMTs brought a woman matching Mika Steven's description in. She is unconscious and badly beaten. Looks like she was tied up and raped, and she has several stab wounds. Doctors haven't done a rape kit yet, they just now got her stable."

Annie's face lit up, "Daisy, update her captain. Jimmy and I are headed to the hospital. Tell HPD to keep patrolling, Diablo's up to something. If he makes a move I want him found. Call if they come up with anything, and find out where the ambulance that picked her up was dispatched to. I wanna copy of that 911 call over here immediately!" Annie said as she limped towards the door. She had left her crutches behind so Jimmy grabbed them just in case.

In a half hour Jimmy and Annie were walking into Ben Taub emergency room. Annie flashed her badge to the receptionist, "I'm Annie Frost and this is Jimmy Godfrey, US Marshals. We were informed that Mika Stevens was brought in. Can you find out who her doctor is and have him paged here immediately?"

"We are kinda swamped, but I will see what I can do," the lady replied.

Fifteen minutes later a tired looking doctor walked over to Annie and Jimmy, "I'm Doctor Scott. I treated Ms. Stevens when she arrived," he said as he shook both the Marshals' hands.

"How bad are her injuries?" Annie asked.

"She was beaten pretty badly and stabbed multiple times, but it looks like she's going to make it. I also believe she was raped. She has severe bruising on her inner thighs but she was fighting us and yelling at us not to touch her when she came in. She had to be sedated just so we could treat her, so we haven't performed a rape kit yet. I am hoping when she wakes up she will understand she is out of harms way. You said your name's Annie?" he asked.

Annie nodded, "Yes, why?"

"The one thing Ms. Stevens kept saying over and over when she came in was 'warn Annie and Casey'. Does that make any sense to you?" the doctor asked.

Annie looked at Jimmy, "Call Casey's details and tell them to up their guard. I want men at the front and back of the building checking every person that walks in that complex." She then looked back to the doctor, "That makes perfect sense, when do you expect her to regain consciousness?"

"Soon, would you like me to take you to her? If she knows you it may help her to stay calm when she does wake up," Dr. Scott said.

"That would be great," Annie said as she gave Jimmy a nod, "Come find me when you get off the phone," she told him quietly.

The doctor led Annie to a private room at the end of the hall. He told her that they always tried to give rape or abused women the privacy of their own room instead of keeping them in an exam room where people were always rushing by. It seemed to help them stay calm and feel more in control, not to mention it was much quieter.

Annie walked over and sat down beside Mika's bed. Mika was covered in bruises and her face was swollen. She had several wounds that were bandaged on both arms and Annie could only imagine what the rest of her body looked like. Annie tried to swallow the lump in her throat but she couldn't shake the thought of what this woman must have went through. Annie finally gave up and let the tears come. She very seldom let herself break down, especially in public, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. She thanked God that Mika had survived, even though it would be hard for her to get her life back. She had survived, and Annie silently promised her that she would help her however she could.

Annie gently put her hand over Mika's as the tears continued to run down her face, "I'm so sorry," she said to her. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry he got to you when he is really after me. I wish I could take all your pain away. I would take your place if I could," Annie cried. She hadn't noticed Jimmy in the doorway.

He silently walked over to her and gently put his hands on her shoulders from behind, "Sshh. It's not your fault Annie. Bad things happen to good people. We see it every day. The best thing we can do for her now is catch this guy, which is what we are going to do sooner than you think. HPD called, they found some tire tracks that match Diablo's truck on an old grown up road off of highway 84. As soon as the backup gets there, HPD is gonna move in. Daisy, Luke, and Marco are on their way."

Annie wiped the tears from her face, "Jimmy, go. They will need you too. I'll stay here with her. I want to be here when she wakes up."

Jimmy looked at her not sure of what he should do. "Annie, I don't want to leave you until we know he's in custody. This guy is smart, this could be a decoy. You know that as well as I do."

Annie nodded and pulled her chair to the other side of Mika's bed where she was facing the door. Then she sat down and put her gun on the table beside her. "If that son of a bitch is stupid enough to walk through that door I will shoot him before he gets within ten feet of me. I can promise you that. I hesitated once, and it almost cost me my life…it wont happen again."

Annie had a look of determination and anger, and Jimmy knew there was no reasoning with her. He bent down and kissed her passionately, holding her possessively before he pulled back and looked in her eyes, "Okay Annie. I'm trusting you with my heart, because if something ever happened to you, it would be shattered into a million peaces." He kissed her on the forehead one last time before he turned and walked out the door.

Tears again filled Annie's eyes. However, this time they were not tears of sorrow or pain. They were tears of hope and joy. Jimmy had a way of bringing that out in her. The way he held her, kissed her, talked to her, he made her feel a way she had never felt before.

Mika began to stir, bringing Annie's full attention back to her. Annie gently took Mika's hand, which caused Mika to open her eyes slowly. There was a look of raw terror on Mika's face, and Annie subtly squeezed her hand, "It's okay Mika, you're safe now."

Mika's eyes focused on Annie and it was like she was scared to look away. Like if she did, Annie would disappear and the mad man who had held her captive for over twenty four hours would be there instead. "Where…where am I?" she asked weakly.

"You're at the hospital, and you're safe. My team and the police are after this son of a bitch. I know this is hard, but can you tell me anything about where you were kept?" Annie asked.

Mika thought hard, then shook her head. "I…I don't know. I think he…drugged me. I don't remember much about when he took me. I was…in the shower. He…he grabbed me…from behind," she was crying now. "The next thing I remember was waking up…tied to a bed."

She took some deep breaths and Annie could tell she was trying to will herself to stop crying, "It's okay. I know this is hard. Take your time. Do you remember anything…certain sounds, traffic, trains, planes, anything that may help us with a location?" Annie asked.

Mika shook her head, "Silence. It was eerie, when he wasn't there, it was total silence. I never heard traffic of any kind. I thought maybe we were in the woods somewhere, but I never heard anything, no birds, no crickets, nothing."

Annie nodded, "Maybe you were in a basement of some kind?"

Mika thought hard, still wiping a few stray tears, "Maybe, but there were no stairs. If I was underground, the whole place was underground. It was very dark, no windows in the room where they kept me. Sometimes I would hear the two men talking in another room, but that's it. No outside sounds at all."

Annie pulled out her cell and dialed Jimmy, "Hey," she said after he answered, "You may be looking for a place hidden underground. Mika says she never heard any outside noises at all, so the place is either really well insulated, or underground. She also said there were no windows in the room where she was kept and that the whole place seemed really dark."

"Underground would explain a lot. I will let everyone know. And Annie, stay alert…we haven't caught him yet," Jimmy said.

"I will, and Jimmy…be careful. Call as soon as you find out anything," Annie said as she disconnected the call and looked back to Mika. "Do you need anything? You hungry, thirsty…anything at all?"

Mika looked at her desperately, "I need you to catch this bastard…and don't leave me…promise you wont leave me…" Mika cried again.

Annie squeezed her hand, "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

**Well, there is chapter 7...I promise to try and get the next update up quicker! Please read and review…and I apologize for the mistakes, I was in a hurry to post so didn't get to proof read much…hope it's not too bad!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the delay...I promise I'm not doing it on purpose! Thank you for all of your reviews! Here is the next installment, I hope you all enjoy, and don't forget to review! Again, all mistakes are mine and I don't own any of the characters except the one's I made up on my own! **

Chapter 8

Jimmy was nearing the small road that entered the woods on highway 84. His mind, however, was on Annie who was still in the hospital room with Mika Stevens. He should have ordered a guard to the door, he should have warned the ER staff to be on the lookout…but he hadn't. He'd been in a hurry to get here, he thought as he pulled up behind the cop cars. He seen Daisy, Marco, and Luke gearing up over by the Expedition.

He opened the back door of the Escalade and took his vest and the rest of his gear out. He was still thinking about Annie and the 'what ifs' if this was a setup. "What's wrong Cowboy?" Daisy asked as she walked up behind him and sensed his mood.

Jimmy shook his head. "Probably nothing…Annie stayed with Mika Stevens at the hospital. She assured me she would be fine." He laughed and ran his hand over his face, "She promised that if Diablo showed his face there she would shoot him before he could get close to her."

Daisy smiled, "I'm sure she will be fine. She may have a banged up knee Jimmy, but she is far from helpless. Diablo would have to be crazy to show his face there."

Jimmy nodded, "Yea, I guess you're right. I just can't help but feel like this is a setup or something. Maybe I'm just being paranoid," he said as he finished with his gear.

Daisy and Jimmy walked over to where everyone was standing and talking. "Okay guys, listen up," Jimmy called out. "According to the grid, this road only goes in about two miles. I want everyone to stay in groups of four, we suspect two fugitives so make sure you don't end up by yourself, ever. These men have not hesitated to kill anyone in the past, including cops, so stay alert and watch each other's back. We will take the road," he motioned at himself and the three other marshals, "and everyone else needs to split up and cover as much as we can on both sides. Any questions?" Jimmy waited and looked around to the many surrounding officers, "Okay, let's do this."

At the hospital Annie still sat holding Mika's hand. The doctor came in and Mika immediately tensed. "It's okay, it's just your doctor." Mika nodded but Annie could tell she was still uncomfortable.

"Ms. Stevens, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked as he slowly approached her.

"How do you think?" she asked back. Annie looked at the doctor apologetically. She figured that Mika would probably feel uncomfortable around men that she didn't really know for quite a while.

"I need to check your vitals. Is that okay?" the doctor asked, not moving towards her anymore until he had her permission.

Mika had been tied up, beaten, assaulted, raped, and stabbed, but she was still a cop and wanted to be strong through all of this. She turned and looked at the doctor and said as strongly as she could, "Of course. Do whatever you need to."

Annie knew what was going on and she squeezed Mika's hand, trying to give her the support that Annie was sure she needed. Annie knew that the doctor would inquire about the rape kit so when he made eye contact with her, Annie subtly shook her head. He knew exactly what she meant.

After the doctor checked to make sure Mika was still doing good he looked to Annie, "Can I see you outside for a minute?" he asked.

Mika momentarily looked terrified, but then tried to mask it and be strong again. Annie looked at her, "I'm not going anywhere. I won't even step all the way out the door."

When Annie reached the door the doctor looked at her seriously, "We need to do a rape kit. I know how sensitive she is right now but she is also a detective that deals with this sort of thing every day. I know right now she is thinking like a victim, but later on she will regret it if she refuses the rape kit now. There could be irrefutable evidence from her attacker that would help you nail him to the wall."

Annie nodded, "I will talk to her. I'll let you know what she says. But I'm pretty sure when we catch this guy, he will already be nailed to a wall."

"Trust me, she will still want justice for herself. No matter how many other crimes he has committed, she will still want justice…it will help give her a sense of closure," he told her.

Annie smiled sadly, "Yes, I understand. Thanks for bein so gentle with her. I will talk to her as soon as I can."

Annie walked back over to the bed and took a seat. Mika looked at her understandingly, "He's wanting to do a rape kit, isn't he?"

Annie looked at her, silently trying to gauge how much she could take. Finally, Annie nodded, "Yea…I told him I would ask you." Annie paused and then added, "Mika, if you're not ready…it's okay."

Mika looked back up at Annie, "I need to do this. I tell victims every day that this is how they start getting control. I know it'll be hard, but I want this bastard to rot for what he done to me. I know he is going to rot anyways for what he has done to so many other women, but that's not the point. I want to know that what he did to me is on his record along with what he has done to so many others. I want him to get the worst possible punishment that he can." Mika was crying again now. She was also shaking in what Annie figured was anger.

Annie nodded, "I will let the doctor know," she said as she pushed the call button.

Jimmy shined his light on the tire tracks that they were still following down what was more like a trail than a road. They had traveled about a mile in and he could hear the HPD guys on either side of him talking amongst one another. He sighed, slightly irritated that some of the young cops were running out of patience already, "Okay, stay alert guys…and quiet. We don't wanna spook them if they are out here. Keep your eyes and ears open…there's only one set of tracks so unless that truck went out another way, it's still in here. Be on the lookout for any kind of footprints or movement," Jimmy said into his radio. "We are also possibly looking for a place underground, so watch your step and pay attention," he added.

About a half mile later Jimmy's light came across something up the road a ways. He signaled for the rest to stop, then the team of marshals advanced on alone. They slowly surrounded the truck before creeping up on it from all sides. Marco and Jimmy cleared the front while Daisy and Luke took the back. "Clear," rang out from all sides as the marshals shined lights everywhere in and under the truck. Jimmy laid his hand on the hood, "Dammit…it's cold. This truck's been here a while."

Daisy looked at him worriedly, "This doesn't feel right…why would he park his truck here and then abandon it? And how did he get out of here?"

"I don't know, maybe we can find some tracks…figure out which way he was headed," Jimmy said as he knelt down and scanned the ground carefully with his eyes. "Marco, keep them back…have them do a perimeter check, and look for an underground building."

Jimmy pulled his cell out. He agreed with Daisy, this didn't feel right. He wanted to leave right now and go back to Annie, but he knew that would be the wrong thing to do. He knew that when the Chief did find out about their relationship he would immediately separate them if they let their personal lives interfere with their jobs. He would just have to settle for a phone call and let her know to stay on the lookout and to not leave the hospital until he got back.

Annie sat by Mika's bed wondering what was going on with Jimmy and the rest of the team when Mika's captain knocked on the door, causing both women to startle a little. Annie looked to Mika, trying to gauge her reaction to the man. Mika looked a little uncomfortable, but smiled softly at the man she had worked with for years.

"Hey…how you doing?" Captain Collins asked as he slowly made his way towards the hospital bed.

"I'm making it I guess," Mika replied. "You know, as many victims as I have interviewed, you would think I would know what to expect, but…" she trailed off as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

Her Captain took her hand and squeezed, "As you know, I use to work in Homicide years ago. You also know that my wife died right before I left there. But I never told you how she died. My wife was the victim of robbery gone bad. The perp broke in our house when we were suppose to both be at work. Leslie happened to have been sick that day, so when the robber seen her on the couch, he panicked. She died instantly of two gun shot wounds to the chest. Before that day, I had informed hundreds of people of the death of their loved ones. I had watched husbands and wives fall apart, even had some fall apart in my own arms. But there is nothing in this world that can prepare you for the other side of this job. It took me six months to get past that, but eventually, I did. You are doing great Mika, and if you keep fighting and let your friends and family be there for you, you will get past this."

Mika squeezed her Captains hand, "Thanks, I know I will. It's just hard right now…being the victim. I keep telling myself that it could be worse, I could have turned out like the rest of his victims."

Collins nodded in agreement, "Mika, we need to get your statement. I know your probably not feeling up to it, but you know the quicker we do this, the more likely you are to remember everything. I can take it, or I can call in some detectives that you don't know if you would feel more comfortable with that."

Mika glanced towards Annie, "Can she take it?…I really don't want someone I don't know, but I don't want someone I have to work with every day either. I know Deputy Frost is not a sex crimes detective, but I am, and I know everything that has to be covered."

"I don't have a problem with that as long as Deputy Frost doesn't," Collins said.

Annie shook her head, "No problem. I don't have any of the paperwork so you will have to get it for me," she said.

Collins held up a file, "I brought it along. I will leave it here and when you two are finished you can call me. I am going to wait around out here in the waiting room for a little bit, at least until we hear from your team," he said looking at Annie.

As if on cue Annie's phone rang. She seen Jimmy's number on the ID and braced herself as she answered, "What did you find?" she asked.

"We found his truck Annie, but that's it. We are still searching the area but I wanted to let you know to stay alert. I don't know what he's up to, but I don't like it," Jimmy said.

Annie took a deep breath, "Okay…Captain Collins is here. I will tell him to be on the lookout. He is going to hang around for a while."

"Good. Don't leave the hospital until I get back there. We are going to finish up here in a little bit and then I will come and get you," Jimmy told her.

"Sounds good, be careful and call with an update when you can," Annie said as she disconnected. She told Mika and Captain Collins what Jimmy said, leaving the part about Jimmy's concern that Diablo may show up at the hospital looking for her out. She followed Collins to the door and quietly told him to be on the lookout.

Annie then took the file and pulled out the proper paperwork for taking Mika's statement. "Might as well get this over with if that's okay with you?" Annie asked her.

Mika nodded weekly, "There should be a small tape recorder in there so we don't have to write everything down."

Annie nodded as she pulled it out and set it on the table, "Just let me know when you are ready to begin."

"No time like the present," Mika said making sure she had full control of her emotions.

Annie picked up the tape recorder and hit the record button, "This is Deputy Annie Frost. I am taking the statement of Detective Mika Stevens. It is December 2, 2:47 am, and we are at Ben Taub hospital. Detective Stevens, can you please start at the beginning and tell me what happened to you?"

Mika took a deep breath, "I think it was a little before midnight on November 30. I had just got home from work and I was accompanied by Officer Palermo who was staying in my apartment while I was at home. I went to take a shower, and right before I was going to turn off the water I heard the door to the bathroom open. I grabbed for my towel, thinking it was just Palermo checking on me since I had been in there a while, but then someone grabbed my arm and yanked hard. I fell into the person, who then held a cloth filled with chloroform over my mouth, causing me to pass out quickly." Mika took a few deep breaths, keeping her emotions in control as best as she could. "When I woke up everything was dark. I tried to move, but my hands and feet were tied to each corner of the bed. I was completely naked and I noticed my hair was dry, so I must have been out for a little while. It was cold and smelled a little bit musty. It seemed like forever before the door finally opened and the man known as Diablo entered the room. There was another man, but he stayed at the door. Diablo switched the light on, and it hurt my eyes, but I didn't close them. He walked over and climbed on top of me, staring down into my eyes. I was scared, but tried my best not to let it show. Then he took out a small knife. He ran it across my throat and down my body, smiling the whole time. He told me he would break me, and that soon I would be begging for him to kill me. When I just stared at him, he hit me across the face," Mika held her hand up to her left cheek.

Annie could tell she was fighting tears. "Take your time. If you need a break, just say so," she told her gently.

"He hit me one more time, busting my lip. I shut my eyes then, thinking he was going to keep hitting me, but when the next blow never came, I opened them up again. He was still on top of me…just staring. Then…then he started to unbutton his belt," Mika wiped away a tear that escaped her eye. She took a few deep breaths before starting up again. "The man that was at the door was gone the next time I looked. Diablo just smiled and told me that no one could help me now. I tried to get loose from the ropes that held my hands and feet, but they were tied to well. The harder I fought, the rougher he got, so finally I just gave up."

Annie's heart broke for Mika Stevens. She tried to keep her composure for Mika's sake, "You survived Mika…that's what matters. And everything you tell us is gonna help us catch him."

Mika nodded and wiped her eyes before continuing, "He raped me three more times while I was there. He would come in sometimes and hit me, mostly in the stomach and ribs, until I blacked out. Then, the last thing I remember before waking up here…he came in with a knife. He wanted me to beg for my life, but I wouldn't. I was to the point that I didn't care what he done to me, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of hearing me beg him for anything. He began cutting me. At first it was just little cuts but then he began getting deeper and more violent. I thought he was going to kill me and then he started talking…about you."

Annie was so focused on Mika's state of mind it took her a second to realize what she had said, "About me?" she said a little shocked.

Mika nodded, "I think he thought that I was too out of it to know what he was saying. He was talking to someone, probably the man that had been in the doorway earlier. He told him that he was going to let me live because he wanted you to see what was going to happen when he got you. He told the man that he wanted you to see me and hear me. He said that he knew you would take it hard…I think he is trying to mess with your mind. Annie…he wants you bad. He is so obsessed. He even whispered your name a few times while he was…" Mike trailed off, not wanting to go back to that part of her story again.

Annie nodded, trying not to let Mika see her reaction to what she had told her. "I know…I am just so sorry you got caught in the middle of this. I am so sorry he got to you," Annie put her hand on Mika's. "Can you tell me anything else about the place that he kept you? Did you get a glimpse of anything when you were leaving?"

Mika shook her head, "All I know is that there were no windows, and it was very dark. It smelled kind of musty, like a celler or basement, but there were no stairs in the room I was kept in. I never saw the rest of the place. I was out from the chloroform before I was tied to the bed, and I was out from…I guess blood loss before I was untied. The next thing I remember after him talking about you, was waking up here. I thought that he was coming after you…or Casey…so I tried to tell the doctors to warn you. They wouldn't listen though…they kept trying to get me to calm down and I guess that's when they gave me a sedative."

There was a tap on the door and the two women looked up to see the doctor standing in the door way. Annie turned off the tape recorder and looked to Mika, "Are you ready for this?" she asked, referring to the rape kit.

Mika nodded weakly, "Let's get it over with."

Jimmy walked around the truck and opened the door to begin searching it. There was mud in the floor board and on the pedals. There was an empty gun rack mounted on the back glass and a few fast food sacks on the seat and scattered throughout the floorboard. He checked under the seat and found a worn looking picture of Annie. There was a few mud spots on it, which made it look like it had been there a while. In the picture, Annie was dressed in her marshal's vest and carrying her shotgun…then Jimmy recognized it as the Jack Druggan takedown. His mind flashed back to the day that Annie charged the fugitive that was reloading the assault rifle he had been firing at them. He remembered how his heart had dropped as he seen her unsnap her shotgun and take off running toward the crazed man. He shook his head as he set the photo on the seat of the truck and walked around to the other side. After checking under the seat and finding nothing but dried mud, Jimmy popped the glove box open. There was an envelope that wasn't sealed with a peace of paper tucked inside. Jimmy pulled it out and opened it up to find a letter to Annie inside. As he read it, his heart sank as he realized their chance of catching this fugitive tonight was getting very slim.

_Dearest Annie,_

_I regret to inform you that I will be taking a little hiatus from my quest. I have been very careful up until this point, and it would be stupid of me to hang around here out of greed and pure obsession. Don't worry though, my want and need for you has only grown stronger, and I am sure it will continue to grow. However, the risks for me have again became too great, and I have to think about my father now as well as myself. I will return for you sooner or later, and I WILL have you…one way or another. Take care of yourself, and maybe when I come back your knee will have healed. I would like that, I don't want you to feel like I have an unfair advantage over you. And tell your boyfriend to stay out of my way, or he will end up like the others who have tried to hinder me from my task in the past years. I'm sure you don't want that for sweet little Jimmy. I will write you when I can, I would hate for you to forget about me. Talk to you soon._

_Love always,_

_Diablo _

Jimmy slammed his hand into the side of the truck in frustration. Daisy and Marco walked up to him quickly "What's wrong? What did you find?" Daisy asked, eyeing the letter in Jimmy's hand.

"He's gone…" Jimmy trailed off as he handed her the letter. "Marco, notify border patrol. Diablo may try to cross into Mexico. And notify the Laredo PD in case he tries to go back there. He's probably too smart for that though…he's gonna go somewhere that no one is going to recognize him and lay low, just like he done last time. Dammit," Jimmy said as he threw his hands in the air.

Daisy shook her head as she read over the letter, "You sure this isn't just a ply to throw us off. He may be waiting on us to relax before he strikes again."

Jimmy shook his head, "Well, if that's the case, he's got a long wait ahead. I'm not gonna relax until this son of a bitch is behind bars where he belongs. Tell HPD to keep searching these woods. We need to find where Mika Stevens was held. Be on the lookout for more tire treads. We need to know what kind of vehicle they are in now. It almost has to be stolen, how else would they have come up with a new vehicle on such short notice. I'm gonna head back to the hospital…I think I should deliver this news in person," he said as he held the letter up that Daisy handed back to him.

Mika laid with her feet propped up in the stirrups at the end of the bed. There were tears falling from her eyes and Annie held her hand and tried the best she could to comfort her. "It will all be over soon Mika…just hang in there."

Mika flinched every time the doctor touched her, and Annie couldn't help but notice the sheer terror in Mika's eyes. Annie could only imagine how hard it was for Mika to lay there and go through this after what she had went through the last couple of days. Mika jumped and inhaled sharply as the doctor swabbed a different place. "I'm sorry," he said after she tried to relax again. "I know this is painful, I am trying to hurry and be as gentle as I can. I will be finished with this part after a few more swabs."

Mika nodded as another tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped them away with one hand, and held on desperately to Annie's hand with the other. Finally the doctor put all of the swabs he had collected into the kit and sealed it up. He then got out his small light that would reveal any fluids that had been left behind. He went over Mika's lower body, taking samples from a few different places. He took pictures of the wounds that had not yet been photographed and then softly smiled at the two women, "Okay Ms. Stevens, you can cover up now. We are all finished up here. I will take this to lab myself. If you need anything else, please let the nurses know. I will tell them not to bother you too much unless you press the call button."

Mika was still trying to regain control of her emotions, so she just nodded.

"Thank you doctor," Annie replied for her. "You okay? You did really good." Annie told her as she squeezed the hand that still firmly held on to her own.

Mika rolled her eyes, "Then why do I feel so damn helpless?"

Annie shook her head, "You are not helpless. You just gave us more definitive evidence that is gonna help us nail this sick son of a bitch. And the information you gave us may help us catch him before he can do this to any more women."

Mika's eyes widened, "What about Casey? You have to check on her!"

Annie nodded, "I have a whole security team sitting on her. I will call and check on her though." She pulled her cell out and dialed Casey's number. After a short conversation and assuring her that Mika was doing good, Annie disconnected. "See, she is safe at home."

Just then Jimmy tapped lightly on the door. "Annie, can I talk to you?"

Annie glanced at Mika who slowly let go of her hand. "I'm fine…go" Mika told her.

"I wont be long," Annie promised as she headed for Jimmy.

They stepped just outside the door before either of them spoke, "Jimmy, what's wrong…did you find him?"

Jimmy just shook his head, "He's gone Boots," Jimmy said as he handed her the letter.

Annie's face paled as she read it. She leaned back against the wall and shook her head. She felt the anger rush through her body and had to focus on controlling herself before she done something like punch a hole through the thin hospital wall. "Son of a bitch! You have got to be kidding me! This asshole terrorizes and kills how many women, then let's one live just so she can tell me her story and how he wants me, then he skips town because he's afraid of getting caught. I cannot believe this. What am I suppose to go back in there and tell her," Annie pointed towards Mika's door. "How is she suppose to move on with her life if she knows this son of a bitch is still out there. Did you find anything else in the woods? Anything that might give us a hint to where he's headed?"

Jimmy shook his head sadly, "HPD and the rest of the team's still searching, but it doesn't look good. Their hideout could have been in those woods, or it could be somewhere across the city. There is just no way to know. I found a few tracks leading out of there, but I lost them about a quarter mile from the truck. We have notified all of the known places that he may try to go. I'm…sorry Annie. I don't know what else to do." Jimmy shook his head.

Annie put her hand on his shoulder. She knew he was taking this just as hard as she was. "This just gets better and better. Jimmy, don't beat yourself up. You've done all you can. We will just have to keep our eyes open. And lets get a bulletin out to all surrounding police departments…chances are he is gonna turn up in a small town somewhere…maybe on the border like last time. We need HQ to start on a national press release, and especially warn the cities and towns on the Mexican border. If he so much as crosses through one, I wanna know!"

Annie turned and walked back in to Mika. Mika looked up hopefully, but the look on Annie's face said it all. "He's still out there, isn't he?"

Annie nodded sadly, "Yea…but we're gonna catch him. Will you be okay here if I go back to my office and we start workin on getting a bulletin out to the surrounding areas?"

Mika nodded, "Yea…he won't come after me again. You are who he really wants Annie. Be careful, watch your back…and don't go anywhere alone. I know we say we can protect ourselves, but this guy is good, and he's strong. I just don't want you lying in this hospital bed next."

Annie smiled softly. She doubted that she would ever make it to a hospital bed if Diablo ever did get his hands on her. "Thanks Mika. If you need anything, or just wanna talk, you call me anytime, day or night. I will send your captain back down here. I bet he's still in the waiting area."

"Thanks Annie." Mika said.

"You bet," Annie replied as she limped out of the room. She hadn't slept in about a full 24 hours and it didn't look like she would get any sleep anytime soon. It was now about 4:40 am and Annie knew they needed to get a press release ready for the morning news. She sighed as she joined up with Jimmy outside the door. "Let's get to work," she said as they headed toward the exit.

**Hope you all enjoyed! Please don't forget to drop a review for me! Let me know what you think and what you all would like to see...I am going to try to move this thing on down the road into the next chapter...maybe get Annie through her surgery and get a little deeper into the Annie Jimmy relationship! Thanks for reading and sticking with me so far through this thing...I will post another chapter as quick as I can get it finished!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, here is the next installment…hope you all enjoy, and please don't forget to review!**

**O and of course…all mistakes are my own!**

Chapter 9

Annie sat at her desk on the phone with McAllen PD. Diablo had possibly been spotted in the city a day ago and she was trying to follow up on some leads. Unfortunately, the woman that supposedly seen him was in her seventy's and wore glasses as thick as a windshield. The elderly woman had taken the printout that she had gotten off of the US Marshals website into the police station and swore that it was the guy. McAllen had called the H.E.A.T. team and Annie had been coordinating with them for the past day. This was the first lead they had since Diablo left Houston a month ago, so Annie wanted to be very thorough even though the chances of anything coming out of this lead was slim to none.

Annie would go in for her surgery first thing in the morning. She was not looking forward to it, considering she was getting around pretty good on her knee at the moment. She still lacked a lot of strength and range of motion, so she knew the surgery was very necessary. She also knew things had been fairly slow since Diablo's departure. Her team had apprehended a few fugitives, with her mostly staying behind and coordinating with HPD. She had got to go on a couple takedowns but after tomorrow she would be back on crutches for at least a week if not a little longer, and back on desk duty until the doctor felt like she was strong enough for field work again.

Jimmy had been staying with her at her apartment ever since the night they had gotten together a little over a month ago. Annie had tried her best to keep her feelings from getting too deep, but she had failed miserably. She had told herself time and time again that eventually Jimmy would tire of her, just like he did with every other woman in his past. She had tried to talk herself into keeping this thing between them purely physical and enjoy it while it lasted, but as time went by she became more and more attached to him. They had fallen into a very comfortable routine. They were a couple at home, and partners at work. They had learned how to keep their work and personal life completely separate, and no one at the office suspected a thing. Daisy was still the only one on the team that knew about their relationship and as far as Annie was concerned it needed to stay that way. She knew if the chief ever found out he would put them under a microscope and look for any reason to split them up and Annie couldn't imagine coming to work every day and not being able to work with Jimmy. It hurt her even to think about it.

Annie was leaning back in her chair thinking about all of this when Jimmy came out of the kitchen with two steaming cups of coffee. "Here you go Boots," he handed her a cup. "You get anything from McAllen?" he asked.

"They got nothing. They have went around the neighborhood that the woman swore she saw him in and no one else seen a thing. They said they would stay on it and let us know if they found anything, but I'm not holding my breath. Maybe we should head down there and question her ourselves," Annie suggested.

Jimmy smiled, shaking his head, "Don't think so, you have a big day tomorrow. Why don't you finish up that paperwork so we can get out of here."

Annie rolled her eyes. She didn't need anyone to remind her of what she had to face tomorrow. She didn't want to think about it, much less talk about it. It wasn't that she was scared, she just dreaded having to use crutches and be completely dependent on others, even if it was just for a week or so. She hated feeling vulnerable and there was nothing that made her feel more vulnerable than the lack of her independence.

Annie also hated being in excruciating pain. Of course everyone hated pain, but Annie hated it for a different reason. It wasn't because she didn't like to hurt, but more because she didn't like others seeing her hurt. She normally tried to hide her pain because she associated pain with weakness, something her dad had taught her many years ago. He had said on many occasions, "Only the weak show pain" and Annie had carried that belief since she was a small child. Over the years she had built an amazingly high pain tolerance. When she was seventeen she had been diagnosed with severe endometriosis. She had waited until she absolutely couldn't tolerate the pain before she had made an appointment to see what it could be. After several unsuccessful medical treatments she had underwent a laparoscopy at the age of 20, which removed all of the adhesions that was causing the pain. That had worked for several years, keeping the pain tolerable enough that she could hide it most of the time. The last week however, she could tell it was starting to get worse again. She was baffled because she was always told the pain would gradually worsen until it got so severe that another laparoscopy would have to be done. This simply was not the case here. In the last week or so it had just started hitting her all of a sudden and out of nowhere. She hadn't told anyone about this, taking Tylenol and Advil and trying to tell herself it wasn't that bad, but she knew if it kept getting worse she would have to say something.

Right now, it was starting to worsen again. She discreetly grabbed the Tylenol bottle out of her desk and took three extra strength. Jimmy had walked across the room but seen her pop the pills out of the corner of his eye. He knew she had been feeling a little uncomfortable as of late, but chalked it up to her knee bothering her and maybe that she was a little nervous about the surgery.

"You okay?" he asked as he walked back over to her.

She nodded unconvincingly, "Yea, just a headache."

Jimmy checked his watch, "When's the last time you ate?" he asked, knowing he hadn't seen her eat all day. It was nearing two in the afternoon and he was starving even though he had eaten a big breakfast that morning while Annie had opted for just coffee.

Annie shook her head, "I'm not hungry Jimmy." Her stomach flipped at the thought of food.

"Come on Boots, you gotta eat. You are probably just nervous about tomorrow. Your head will feel better if you get something in that knotted up stomach of yours." Jimmy started rearranging her paperwork and putting it into files. "We can take all this home and I will help you finish it tonight. Right now, we are gonna get some lunch."

Annie rose from her chair, the pain low in her abdomen absorbing her thoughts as it stabbed through her body. She gripped the edge of her desk to keep herself from doubling over, the only change in her facial expression was the tightening of her jaw and the slight furrow of her brow. Jimmy immediately noticed her change in demeanor and was very concerned. "Annie, what's wrong?" he asked quickly.

Annie took a second to compose herself. She straightened up and looked at him, all signs of pain gone from her face, "I'm fine Jimmy…and I'm NOT hungry," she said as she turned and hurried to the ladies room silently praying that it was empty.

When she pushed through the door it was all she could do to make it to an empty toilet before getting sick. She bent over the toilet and retched painfully, gripping her stomach as to try and ease the pain. The only thing that came up was the little bit of coffee she had managed to get down earlier that day. When she was finished, she sat back against the wall in the stall and took few deep breaths. She looked up surprised to see Daisy standing over her looking very concerned. "I…I didn't know you were in here," Annie said embarrassed.

Daisy knelt down, "Annie, are you okay? What's wrong?" she asked glancing down on how Annie was still holding her stomach tightly.

Annie removed her hand, grimacing a little from the pain that was still coursing through her. She shook her head before lowering it and closing her eyes, unable to hide the pain from her friend.

When Annie didn't say anything Daisy tried again, "Annie, talk to me. Do you want me to go get Jimmy?"

Annie quickly shook her head, "No. I'll be fine. Just…give me a minute." Annie slowly stood, using the stall wall for support. Daisy held onto her other arm, still very unsure of what was going on.

Annie walked over to the sink and turned the water on. She cupped some in her hand and brought it up to her mouth to rinse it out. She squeezed her eyes shut as another wave of nausea came over her. She gripped the sink and took some deep breaths, trying to fight it off. After the nausea eased she noticed the pain in her stomach was starting to ease some as well. It was still very present and noticeable to Annie, but was no longer intolerable which made it easier to hide from everyone else. Annie finally straightened her stance, "Okay, I think I'm fine now," she said as she looked to Daisy.

Daisy shook her head, "You are obviously not fine. How long have you been like this?"

Annie looked in the mirror, noticing how pale she looked. She took a deep breath, "A few days…it's nothing…really."

"Oh it's something alright…does Jimmy know?" Daisy asked with a little grin.

Annie looked at her confused, "Daisy, I'm fine…there is nothing for Jimmy to know."

Daisy half rolled her eyes, "So you have explored all of the possibilities here and your final assessment is that you're fine?"

Annie rolled her eyes irritated, "I don't know what you're driving at Daisy," she said, noticing the pain in her abdomen starting to dull even more.

"Okay…you and Jimmy have been together what, a month or so now? I am assuming you two are sleeping together…and when two mature adults have a relationship like that there are certain things that can happen as a result…" Daisy trailed off, letting Annie think about it for a moment.

Realization finally came over Annie's face and she looked at Daisy as if she were crazy, "I'm not pregnant…I can't be."

Daisy was now the one confused, "What do you mean, can't?"

Annie rolled her eyes, "As in can't…not possible."

"Then Annie, something really is wrong. What the hell's going on?" Daisy asked, more concerned now.

Annie sighed before looking back to Daisy, "I have endometriosis and it is starting to act up again. I had surgery a long time ago and it fixed it for a while but now it's back. I can't be pregnant because the doctors all said that the only chance of me ever having kids was through in vitro fertilization and even then the chances were slim. Any more questions?"

Daisy knew Annie was frustrated. She held her hands up and backed away, "Annie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry…I'm just worried about you." Daisy turned toward the door.

Annie leaned back over the sink. She knew Daisy was just trying to be a good friend and she shouldn't be so short with her, "Daisy…I'm sorry. I'm just tired…and I'm suppose to have this damn surgery tomorrow. And every time Jimmy notices that I'm not feeling good he makes the comment that I'm just nervous about it. I'm not nervous. I dread it, especially bein' back on crutches for a week, but I'm not nervous. This endometriosis is just…kickin' my butt, you know… The doctors said that it would gradually come back, but there has been no gradual to it."

Daisy walked back over to her and leaned up against the wall next to the sink, "Annie, you should go to the doctor. There is no sense in hurting like that."

Annie smiled sarcastically, "The only thing they can do is a laparoscopy, and the pain has to get more constant before they will consider it. Trust me…I've been there before."

Daisy shook her head, "Well that's ridiculous. They could at least give you something for the pain."

Annie looked up at her cocking one eyebrow, "The only medicine that can stop this is the kind they give you through the IV in the hospital. Don't worry Daisy…like I said, I'll be fine. I just have to deal with it for a while. Maybe it'll get better, but if not I will make an appointment."

Daisy smiled, "Let me know if you need anything…I mean it, anything."

Annie nodded, "Thanks…and, can you keep this between us? Between Diablo and the knee thing, Jimmy already worries about me enough."

"You got it, but you should probably find a way to tell him if this gets any worse. Otherwise he is just going to worry more because he doesn't know what's going on," Daisy said seriously.

Annie nodded, "I'll be out in a minute. Go ahead and get done with whatever you need to and call it a day."

As Daisy walked out the door Annie turned the water back on and rinsed her mouth out one more time. She still felt the dull pain but it was nothing like it had been a few minutes ago. She looked back into the mirror and was relieved to see that some of her color had returned as well. She knew she would have to try and eat just to keep Jimmy satisfied, but she still didn't really feel up to it. Maybe she could hold him off a little longer and she would get a little more of an appetite. She turned and headed for the door, her demeanor back in tough no nonsense US Marshal mode.

Annie returned to her desk, gathering the files that Jimmy had put together. "You feeling better?" Jimmy asked as he walked back over to her.

"Yea…I wanna follow up a little more on this McAllen thing and then we can go," she told him.

"Whatever you say. Need some help?" he asked sitting down at his desk.

"Na, just gotta make a few calls," Annie said as she picked up the phone.

After talking with McAllen PD again and coming up with nothing, Annie gave them her cell number and told them to call if they ever found anything. She couldn't stand not knowing where Diablo had ended up and if he had hurt any other women along the way. The hardest part about this job was the waiting and the uncertainty. All they could to was put out a warning and hope someone spotted him wherever he was.

Annie sighed again, thankful that even though the dull pain in her abdomen was still there, it hadn't gotten worse since the bathroom incident. And even though she still wasn't very hungry, she no longer felt sick to her stomach. She did however still feel very tired. She decided that the best thing to try and do was eat a light dinner and try and get some rest before the big day tomorrow.

Two hours later Annie and Jimmy sat in her apartment. They had ran by the local Olive Garden on the way home from work. Jimmy had ordered the stuffed chicken marsala while Annie had opted for soup and salad. Jimmy had begged her to order more but she finally convinced him that she didn't think she could hold anything heavier down. He had again chalked it up to nerves which had just caused Annie to roll her eyes. He was beginning to really irritate her with his nerves analogy.

They were now settled on the couch watching an old movie on television. Jimmy was sitting on one end with Annie laying down and her head on a pillow on his lap. Before they got halfway into the movie Jimmy looked down to find Annie asleep. He watched the rest of the movie and by the time it was over he was also feeling pretty tired. He hated to wake her but he knew she would be far more comfortable in the bed. He ran his hand through her hair gently until she finally started to stir. "Hey Boots, ready for bed?"

She smiled without opening her eyes, and then all of a sudden it was gone and she was clutching her stomach in agony. Jimmy's eyes widened, "What's wrong Annie?" he pleaded desperately.

Annie shook her head and kept her eyes shut tight. She drew her legs up and continued clutching at her stomach. She took a few desperate breaths, trying to will herself to get control, but the pain was so intense that she couldn't even tell Jimmy what was going on. She held up a finger, signaling for Jimmy to hold on a minute.

Jimmy just sat there rubbing her shoulder, not knowing what else to do. He was on the verge of panicking when she finally relaxed a little bit. She sat up on the couch slowly, still in a great deal of pain. "Annie, what the hell was that all about?"

She bent over putting her elbows on her knees and trying to calm the nausea that had now washed over her. She felt herself losing the battle and got up, quickly heading for the bathroom with Jimmy right behind her.

After a reoccurrence of what had happened earlier that day in the bathroom at work, Annie sat back against the tub and closed her eyes trying to fight off the tears that were threatening to fall. Jimmy sat down beside her and pulled her into him, "Honey talk to me. I want to help, but I can't if you wont tell me what's going on."

She leaned into him, tears now streaming down her face. "I hate feeling like this. It's nothing, and there is nothing you can do about it."

He rocked her softly, "Anything that hurts you that badly is definitely something. Tell me what's wrong…please," he pleaded with her.

"I have severe endometriosis…I was diagnosed when I was 17. None of the medicines worked, so finally when I was 20 the doctors done surgery and got all the adhesions out. Apparently, it's back," Annie told him.

Jimmy hugged her tighter, "How long have you been hurting like this?"

"I have been hurting a little for the past week, but it's gotten really bad the last couple of days," she admitted.

Jimmy shook his head, "Why didn't you tell me Annie?"

She shook her head, "I never wanted you to see me like this," she whispered.

Jimmy put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up to where she was looking at him, "Annie, I know you. I know how you believe that showing pain makes a person look weak. Nothing could ever make you look like that to me. If you are hurting, I want to know. I wanna be here for you, but you have to let me in. You have to talk to me. I know neither of us are big talkers, but you have to let me know these things. Now, how serious is this?"

Annie shrugged her shoulders, "I have had severe cramps every month for as long as I can remember. It got so bad right before the surgery ten years ago that it hurt all month, every day. It became completely intolerable and it didn't matter what kind of medicine I was on. They finally decided to do the surgery and after that things were much better. I still cramp really bad the first day of…that time of the month. But after that I can tolerate the pain very well. The doctors said it would probably eventually start to get bad again, and that it was very possible I would have to have the same surgery again. But they also said it would take a long time to build up to as bad as it was before."

Jimmy shook his head, "Is it as bad already?"

Annie closed her eyes and nodded, "It's just not as constant. It hits all of a sudden. It's so intense that it makes me sick a lot of the time, but then sometimes I can breath my way through it. I just don't understand why it would hit this suddenly."

Jimmy held her tight, "We will figure this out. It's not life threatening or anything…right?" he asked worriedly.

"No, but…" Annie trailed off not wanting to get into what she was about to say.

"But what?" Jimmy said quickly, looking down at her.

"Jimmy…I can probably never have kids. I mean…that's always been fine with me, it's not like I have great genes that I need to be passing down to a kid anyways. But, I never knew if you wanted them or not…" she trailed off again before she started rambling.

Jimmy shook his head, "There is nothing wrong with your genes. And I have actually never thought about having kids. I don't know that I'm really the parenting type. Plus, with our line of work, how would we take care of a kid anyways."

Annie's heart skipped a beat. Talking about 'them' like they were going to last forever made her nervous. She just wasn't ready to let those kind of thoughts enter her mind yet. She finally pushed away from him and stood up slowly, using the side of the tub for support. She still felt a little queasy, but just really wanted to lay down.

"Annie, what about your knee surgery tomorrow?" Jimmy asked.

"What about it?" Annie said looking at him.

"I don't know, don't you think we should talk to the doctor about this before they do it?" he said.

"I don't know why it would really matter. I was going to call and set up an appointment with my doctor sometime after this knee surgery," Annie told him.

"Annie, as bad as you were just hurting, I'm not sure if we shouldn't try and take care of this before the knee surgery," Jimmy suggested.

Annie rolled her eyes, "I just really don't want to put off this knee thing any longer. I am ready to get on the road to full recovery and back to work."

Jimmy smiled, "I'm just talking a couple days here. I know a doctor that I can get you in to see really quick."

Annie looked at him and tilted her head, "And how do you know this doctor?"

Jimmy leaned against the cabinet, "She is Natalie's best friend. We went on a few double dates with her and her husband when Natalie and I were together."

Annie was shaking her head before Jimmy could even finish, "I am not going to see your ex girlfriend's friend who happens to be a gynecologist. Are you crazy?"

Jimmy looked at her confused, "What's wrong with that? Natalie and I ended things on good terms, and we don't have to tell Dr. G we are together if you don't want to."

"Dr. G?" Annie looked at him mockingly.

"Glocktenham, G for short," Jimmy smiled.

"Jimmy, that just doesn't really sit right with me…I mean, Natalie and I were…are…were friends. I don't know what we are now," Annie confessed.

"Annie, it will be fine, I promise. Like I said, she doesn't have to know we are together. Just let me make a call…please. She is suppose to be really good to. She won some award around a year ago." Jimmy took out his cell and looked up her husbands number. When Natalie and Jimmy were dating they spent a lot on time with the Glocktenhams and Jimmy had became good friends with Jim.

Annie rolled her eyes, knowing she couldn't change his mind. She knew she could fight him on this but maybe it was for the best.

"Hey Jim…yea I'm good. Listen, what's Maya's number, I have a friend that was looking for a new doctor and I told her I would get Maya's number." Jimmy paused to write it down. "Thanks Jim…yea we need to get together sometime. No I haven't talked to her in a while…really, that's good. Okay, will do…talk to you later." Jimmy disconnected only to start dialing again.

"Whoa, you're calling her tonight?" Annie asked, grabbing his hands.

"Yea, Jim said she was still at work and would be for a while. He told me to call her, said he just talked to her a half hour ago and she didn't seem too busy." Jimmy said as he pulled away and continued dialing.

Annie shook her head as she reached over and turned the shower on, pushing Jimmy out of the bathroom. She stripped down and stepped into the hot spray, silently hoping that 'Dr. G' didn't answer.

Jimmy walked into the kitchen and set the little notepad and pen that he carried around in his pocket down. He held his phone to his ear listening to it ring.

"This is Maya," the voice said on the other end.

"Hey, it's Jimmy…are you busy or can you talk for a minute?"

"Jimmy, long time no see. I have a few minutes…how have you been?" she asked on the other end of the line.

"I'm good. And you?" he asked.

"Oh I'm great…been working a lot but I'm not complaining…we need to get together sometime, Jim is always talking about how he misses all of us hanging out," Maya proclaimed.

"Yea I know, I miss you guys too. We will have to get together sometime soon," Jimmy agreed.

"Well, what's up? I'm sure you didn't call just to chat," she asked.

"Well, I have a friend who really needs to get in to see a doctor as quick as possible. She is scheduled for knee surgery in the morning but she has been having really bad pains in her abdomen from endometriosis," he told her.

"Hm, do you know if she has ever had a laparoscopy to know for sure that it's endo?" Maya asked.

"Yes, about ten years ago. The doctors told her that it would probably come back and I guess it has. She said it has just hit her all of a sudden though. I witnessed one episode and I am telling you…it's bad." Jimmy said.

"Sounds like you and this friend are pretty close," Maya said. Jimmy could hear the smile in her voice.

"It's my partner at work. We have worked together for seven years now and we've known each other pretty much forever so yea, we are pretty close," Jimmy told her.

"I will tell you what, there isn't much I can tell about endometriosis without going in and actually doing a laparoscopy myself, but if you will bring your friend in I will do some blood work to rule everything else out and give her some pain medicine to tide her over until we can do the surgery if that's what needs to be done. There are also some other things that may or may not help but I can talk to her about them when you come." Maya said cheerfully.

"Sounds good, when do you want to see her?" Jimmy asked.

"How about 8:30?" Maya said.

"Tonight?" Jimmy asked surprised.

"Yea, I don't get off till midnight and I just had a cancellation," she told him.

"Sounds great…her name's Annie Frost. I will go get her now and see you in a bit. Thanks so much Maya," Jimmy said gratefully.

"You're welcome," she said as they disconnected.

Jimmy heard the shower still running and went in to find Annie leaned over holding her stomach again, her towel draped loosely over her. "Annie, you okay? You hurting again?" he asked as he put her robe over her.

She just nodded a little, "I'll be fine in just a minute. It's not as bad as before."

Jimmy shook his head. "If it's enough to double you over, it's pretty bad."

After a minute Annie slowly straightened up, wrapping her robe around her and putting her towel over her head. She leaned up against the sink with her hands on the cabinet, fighting the nausea that had now taken over the pain. Jimmy walked up and wrapped his arms around her, "You feeling better yet?" he asked as he felt her relax into him.

She took a few deep breaths, "Yea."

"Good cause we are suppose to be at Dr. G's office in an hour," he told her feeling her tense immediately.

"Tonight? How the hell did you manage that?" she asked as she turned around.

He shrugged. "She said she had a cancellation and to come on in. She said she wanted to do some tests to rule everything else out and then she would see if she could prescribe you something for the pain until she could get you back in for the surgery."

Annie rolled her eyes, "I hate this…why does this all have to happen at one time. Did she say if she thought I would be able to go ahead with knee surgery tomorrow?"

Jimmy shook his head, "I didn't ask. Now get some clothes on, we need to leave in a few minutes."

Annie dried her hair quickly and pulled some loose jeans and a comfortable three quarter sleeve shirt on. She still felt the pain but was managing to hide it pretty well. She found Jimmy snacking on some cookies in the kitchen and when he offered her one she looked at him disgustingly as she felt a wave of nausea. She held her hand up as she grabbed her brown jacket and headed for the door.

They walked into the doctor's office at 8:15. Annie was just glad they didn't have to walk through Natalie's part of the building to get to Dr. G's office. A tall slender blonde walked out and over to Jimmy, smiling as she gave him a hug. She then turned to Annie, "Hi, I'm Maya, or Dr. G, whichever you prefer. I hear you've been having some trouble."

Annie nodded, shaking the doctor's hand, "Yea, I guess Jimmy filled you in?" she asked.

"Mostly…let's get you back in a room and we can talk more," Maya said.

She led them back to an exam room, "Do you want Jimmy to wait outside?"

"As long as I don't have to get naked or anything it's okay if he stays," Annie said laughing.

"I don't think that will be necessary at the moment," the doctor smiled back. "I just want to draw some blood and get a urine sample so we can rule some things out."

"Look, I know it's your job to be thorough, but I already know what this is. I can save you a lot of time and me a lot of money here," Annie said.

Maya smiled, "Don't worry, your insurance will cover these tests, and I have to do them…I believe you, but I could lose my job if I don't perform the necessary tests before resorting to surgery, no matter how minor the surgery may be."

"I understand. I won't be turning this in on my insurance though. I have insurance through my work and I had rather keep this away from there," Annie stated.

"Ms. Frost…endometriosis is not your fault. It effects millions of women and the actual cause is unknown. You have nothing to be ashamed of," Maya explained.

Annie half smiled, "I know that…I just don't like my personal life to interfere with my work. I have plenty in my savings to take care of this, it's no big deal."

"That's fine…let's just get started," Maya said. She drew some blood and then sent Annie down the hall for a urine sample. After both had been sent to the lab Maya was back in the room. "Okay, let me just get some history. I have your medical file here. Looks like you went through the ringer your first go round with this. I have a lot of patients with endo, but only a few cases are this severe. Is the pain as bad as it was the first time around yet?"

Annie shrugged, "Yes and no. The pain is just as bad…if not worse, but it's not constant. Last time it got worse and worse over time and never went away. Now it's probably worse than it was then, but it only lasts a few minutes. I can remember last time, before the surgery, it would start with a dull pain in the pit of my stomach and build up over a few hours until I couldn't stand it anymore. The doctors wouldn't even consider the surgery until they had tried every pain medication and treatment they could think of, but nothing worked, nothing even touched the pain."

Maya nodded, taking notes as Annie talked, "You said the pain is worse, how does it present itself?"

"Very suddenly. I can be fine one moment, or maybe have very dull pain, and the next moment be doubled over unable to talk or breath or move. When it's really bad it makes me sick to my stomach as well," Annie told her, trying to be as honest as possible even though she hated talking about hurting like this, especially in front of Jimmy.

Maya looked up from her notes, "And when did this pain start?"

"The dull pain started around a week ago. The blinding pain started two days ago. It just happened once day before yesterday. Then yesterday it happened three times, the first two not near as bad as the third. And then today it's happened three times, every time bad enough to make me sick. It just doesn't last very long. I have actually been able to hide it from my coworkers because it's over soon after it starts," Annie said looking to Jimmy with and apologetic smile.

"No kiddin…I had no idea until a little before I called you, and I'm her partner," Jimmy told Maya.

Maya smiled and nodded, "Sounds like these episodes may be getting worse. And you said you were scheduled for knee surgery in the morning?"

Annie nodded, "Yea, I tore my ACL about a month ago and I am suppose to have reconstructive surgery in the morning. I will still be able to go ahead with that, right?"

"I'm not going to promise anything yet, but if everything checks out okay the surgery shouldn't be a problem. I will prescribe some pain medication that you can take tonight before bed but don't take it in the morning…I'm sure they will have you pretty taken care of though," Maya said smiling.

Annie sighed in relief, "Sounds good."

Maya got up, "Let me go see if they have any results for me yet…all of the tests wont be done yet but there are a few that should be back. I will get my prescription pad and be back in a few."

When Maya left Jimmy walked up behind Annie and leaned down putting his arms around her and kissing her on top of the head, "I wish you would have told me about this when it started. I could have gotten you in here and got you some medicine."

Annie put her hands on his arms and squeezed, "Jimmy, medicine may help a little, but it wont do a lot. I told you, I've been through this before…but thank you, for trying…and for getting me in to see the doctor this quick."

"You are very welcome Ms. Annie Frost," he said kissing her again, this time on the cheek.

She smiled as he dropped his arms and backed back against the wall just moments before Maya walked back in. She sat down and looked at Annie smiling, "Well, the surgery is going to be a problem after all."

Annie looked at her confused, "Why…I thought you said…what didn't check out?"

Maya looked at her seriously, "Annie, you're pregnant."

**Well…there is chapter 9...sorry to leave you on such a cliffhanger but I would really love some reviews to keep this thing moving on the right track. I know this chapter was a lot more about their personal life than the case, but that is really what I was aiming for when I started this story…I will try to even the story out later on. And also…there may be some things that seem far fetched but I have researched everything very thoroughly to make sure that even though it may be rare, everything so far in the story is completely possible! PLEASE let me know what you think!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10

**First, thank you all so much for the reviews! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. Please let me know what you think at the end! BTW, I wish I could update daily, but simply do not have the time. I promise I am working on this every chance I get and I hope you will all stick with me even though I know how frustrating it is to wait on authors to get the next chapters up!**

**All mistakes are my own.**

Chapter 10

Annie's mouth dropped in shock. She shook her head in confusion, "That's…not possible." She glanced at Jimmy who was still propped up against the wall behind her. He looked like he was in just as much shock as she was.

Maya nodded, "I ran the test twice to make sure. Now…there could be a few things that could trigger a false positive but…"

"No…ten years ago the doctors told me that the only way I would ever be able to have kids would be through in vitro and even then the chances were probably slim," Annie said, cutting Maya off mid sentence. "This has to be a mistake," she added.

Maya nodded again, "This kind of thing doesn't happen very often, but I have seen it before. I understand this may come as quite a shock to you. There is also some things I want to check out. The pain you have been experiencing alarms me. There is a possibility it is from the endometriosis, but I have never seen it cause this amount of pain this early in the pregnancy. The other possibility is you may have what we call an ectopic pregnancy. That's when the egg is fertilized and implants itself in the fallopian tube. It can be very dangerous so we need to do an ultrasound and see what's going on."

Annie just shook her head in disbelief, "You're sure this isn't a mistake?"

Jimmy walked up behind her and gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Boots, just calm down and let her do the ultrasound," he said as he finally found his voice again.

Maya looked at the two of them before she rose, "I am going to get the machine set up down the hall. I will give you a minute to let this sink in. Jimmy, when she's ready just step into the hall, I will have a nurse watch for you and bring you down to the room."

Jimmy nodded, "Thanks Maya."

When they were alone Jimmy knelt in front of Annie, "Boots, talk to me. Are you okay?"

Annie shook her head, the tears that were now forming in her eyes gave Jimmy his answer. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her break down, her tears soaking through his shirt. "This wasn't suppose to happen Jimmy…I'm so…so sorry…" she cried.

Jimmy held her tight, "Don't be sorry…we will get through this. Everything's gonna be okay. We're in this together…I promise you I'm not going anywhere."

Annie tried to compose herself. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes, "Jimmy, I don't know if I can do this," she told him shaking her head.

He ran his hand down her face, "Annie, you are the toughest woman I know. I have never seen you back down from a challenge. Let's just get through tonight, let's do the ultrasound and make sure nothing is wrong. Then we will go home and try to get some sleep. No one is expecting us in tomorrow anyways, so we will have the whole day to talk and think. That sound okay?"

Annie shook her head, "I don't know how you can be so calm. I…I'm gonna be sick…" she trailed off holding her hand over her mouth and bolting for the trash can. She retched but there was nothing left in her stomach to come up. Jimmy stood behind her trying to sooth her by rubbing his hand up and down her back.

When she was finished she stood weakly, "Let's get this over with, I'm ready to get out of here."

Jimmy nodded, stepping into the hallway and signaling the nurse. They were led down the hall and Jimmy kept his hand on the small of Annie's back. She looked weak and pale and he was afraid her legs were going to give way at any moment. He knew she was not taking this news well. It was a shock to him as well and he wasn't sure how he felt about it but he knew he had to be strong for Annie's sake. For the first time in his life he was witnessing her fall apart and that scared him to death because until now he had never thought that was possible. He had seen her face the worst of the worst as far as fugitives go and never bat an eye. But this was different, this was a personal, and Annie did not do well with personal.

They entered the room and the nurse told Annie to sit on the exam table and the doctor would be in shortly. As soon as the nurse left Maya came in. She immediately noticed Annie's paleness, "Annie, can I get you anything. Maybe some juice or crackers?"

Annie shook her head, "No thanks…I don't think I could keep it down right now anyways," she admitted.

"Are you in pain or just sick to your stomach?" Maya asked, a little concerned.

"Mostly just a little queasy. The pain is there but it's no worse than usual," she replied.

Maya nodded, not really liking that answer. "Okay, go ahead and lay back and raise your shirt and unbutton your pants. If you want, Jimmy can wait outside," Maya offered.

"No, he's staying," Annie said quickly, not meaning to sound so desperate.

Jimmy stepped up and took her hand, no longer caring if Maya knew if they were together or not. "I'm right here Boots. Just take a breath and let's get through this."

Annie nodded as she did what the doctor had asked. Maya then took a cloth and tucked it in the hem of Annie's jeans to keep the ultrasound gel off of them. "This may be a little cold," she said as she applied the gel to Annie's flat stomach. She then took the wand and applied gentle pressure as she looked to the screen. Jimmy looked as well but Annie just closed her eyes as a few more stray tears escaped and ran down her face.

Jimmy noticed the tears and gave Annie's hand a squeeze. A moment later Maya pointed to something up on the screen, "There, you see that?"

Annie looked over at the screen, "What is it?," she replied.

"That's good. That is your uterus," Maya pointed to the area on the screen, "And that little thing right there, that is what will soon be a baby. Looks like it has implanted exactly where we would want it to which is great. Everything looks perfectly normal. Looks like you are about four weeks along, which means nothing has really started developing yet…" Maya trailed off suddenly.

Jimmy looked up a little alarmed, "What?"

Maya shook her head a little. She then pointed to another tiny spot on the screen, "Looks like there is also a small cyst. It looks to be about 5 cm in size. This could be causing some of the pain and nausea you are experiencing. I don't think that it would be responsible for a great deal of pain though. This could be where the dull pain you are feeling is coming from."

Jimmy still felt rather alarmed, "How dangerous is this?"

Maya shook her head again, "This cyst has thin walls which means it is filled with harmless fluid. This is very common and most of the time it will go away on it's own. I will monitor it closely to make sure it doesn't get any bigger. In rare occasions these cyst will keep growing and have to be removed, but if that happens I would much rather get her to the second trimester because it will make it much safer for the baby. I want to set you up for a follow up every week to monitor your condition closely. In the meantime, this severe pain still has me a little stumped. I would like to keep you for observation, at least until you have one of these episodes. I would really like to monitor you through the pain and see if we can't narrow down what it could be. It may be from the scar tissue that the endometriosis has left behind, but like I said before, I have never seen this amount of pain present this early."

Annie was speechless, she was still in utter disbelief that she was actually pregnant. She just nodded a little and looked over at Jimmy. He squeezed her hand again before looking to Maya, "That will be fine."

Maya nodded, "I'm going to get you a room set up. I'll be back in a few minutes, just sit tight and try to relax."

Jimmy took Annie's hand again as Maya closed the door behind her, "Boots, talk to me. What's going through that pretty head of yours?"

Annie's bottom lip quivered a little as she looked at him, "Jimmy, what are we gonna do? This couldn't have happened at a worse time. I…I'm not sure…if I can do this…" she trailed off, blinking to keep more tears from falling.

"Yes, you can…we can. I am just as shocked as you are over this, but we should look at this as more of a blessing than a curse. I mean, you said the doctors told you that you would most likely never have kids, but here we are. I know you feel like this is too much to handle, but we can do this," Jimmy said smiling a little as he hugged her.

Annie shook her head in disbelief, "Are you actually smiling?" she asked angrily. "Jimmy, I'm not fit to be a parent and honestly…I'm not sure if I even wanna be a parent. I don't know the first thing about it not to mention I don't have the greatest family history in the world. You may be fine with this…but I'm not."

Jimmy looked at her, eyes narrowed, "Annie, what are you saying?"

Annie shook her head again, rolling her eyes, "I don't know. I feel like everything is out of control."

"Look, I know you're scared, hell so am I, but let's not rush to any decisions here. Just let it sink in for a few days…" he gently pulled on her chin until she was looking at him, "promise me that you will talk to me about this. We are in this together, let's take it a day at a time, and after some of this shock wears off we can talk about what to do then. Right now let's just see what the doctor says." Jimmy knew how scared she felt, but he also knew how much she would resent herself if she started making irrational decisions. And no matter how unprepared he was for this, abortion just didn't sit right with him, and he knew Annie well enough to know that she felt the same way he did. She just wasn't thinking clearly at the moment, so he knew that if he could delay this decision at least she would be able to live with the consequences in the end, whatever they may be.

Finally Annie nodded, "Just don't smile about it okay."

Jimmy nodded back, "Okay…do you need anything? Hungry, thirsty?"

"No, I'm fine. My stomachs doing summersaults right now…pretty sure I can't keep anything down at the moment," Annie told him.

Jimmy looked at her concerned, "Annie, when is the last time you actually held something down?"

She thought for a minute, "I don't really know. I actually haven't tried eating a lot the last few days."

Just then a nurse came in and asked if the couple would follow her. She led them to a room with a bed and a big machine. There was also a couple chairs on the other side of the bed. Maya was waiting for them as they entered. She had Annie change into a gown and get in the bed. She then strapped a monitoring device around her stomach, having to take it up quite a bit so that it would stay in place. She explained that the monitor measured contractions, and even though she doubted that's what Annie was having she wanted to make sure that the pain she was having wasn't triggering any kind of small contractions, even though there wasn't much they could do about it this early. Maya felt like the more they knew, the more she could prepare Annie about what to expect. If a miscarriage was likely, Maya always felt that it made it easier if the parents could prepare themselves ahead of time.

Maya also strapped a device to Annie's arm that would take her blood pressure every thirty minutes, and put something on her finger that kept her heart rate. "This machine will also take her blood pressure if her heart rate spikes, which will happen if she starts having one of these episodes. The machine will alert the nurses' station who will page me," Maya put her hand on Annie's arm gently, "I know this has been a crazy night so try and calm down and get some rest. Do you need anything?"

Annie shook her head but Jimmy quickly jumped in and commented for her, "She can't remember the last time she was able to hold any food down."

Maya looked to him, "Okay, come with me Jimmy, I will show you where the cafeteria is…get her some yogurt, it always seemed to do the trick when I was pregnant, and trust me, I was sick a lot," Maya smiled.

"I'll be right back…you okay?" Jimmy asked as he looked back to Annie.

She nodded, "Yea, but I'm really not hungry."

Jimmy half rolled his eyes, "You never are…just humor me okay."

Jimmy followed his friend down the long hallway, "Maya, I don't know how to thank you for tonight. I know you should probably be off work by now."

Maya smiled at him, "Your welcome. I needed to catch up on some paperwork pretty bad, and I have been on nights all week so I am already use to these hours. Now, tell me Jimmy, you and Annie are together, right? I mean, I see the way you look at her."

Jimmy smiled. He knew he couldn't hide the relationship from his friend, especially if she was going to be Annie's doctor, "We aren't suppose to be. It just kind of happened. No one knows except for one coworker who is on our team. This kind of thing is frowned upon at work, so we have kept our personal life private…and I'm sure Annie's gonna insist on keeping it that way as long as possible."

Maya nodded, "I understand. It may be hard though if there turns out to be some kind of complication."

"Yea, that's what I'm afraid of," Jimmy replied shaking his head. "She is taking this news pretty bad. I think she's just in shock right now, which I admit, this kind of thing is pretty shocking. She is just usually so put together, you know. I have known her forever, and I can count the times I have seen her cry on one hand. And then this, I have never seen her like this."

Maya smiled, "How you holding up?" she asked as they rounded the corner to the cafeteria.

"I'll be fine," he said quickly. He couldn't think about his feelings right now. Annie needed him to be strong and in control.

"Well, I know that this is shocking, for the both of you. If you need to talk, or if you need someone else to talk to her…just let me know," she said as she grabbed a couple yogurts out of the tray and handed them to Jimmy. "These are on me."

Jimmy smiled as he took them, "Thanks Maya, for everything. And…I know how close you are to Natalie. Her and I…we ended things on good terms but could you not say anything to her about this. I just don't know how she would take it…her and Annie are friends too and…I just don't want Annie to have to deal with any more drama right now…" he trailed off, not really knowing how to say what he was trying to say.

"You don't have to worry about me. I wouldn't say anything even if I could. Doctor patient confidentiality keeps me from telling anyone though," Maya told him.

When Jimmy walked back in he found Annie just staring out the window. "Here you go Boots, try some of this," he said as he peeled back the cover from a yogurt and handed it to her along with a plastic spoon.

Annie rolled her eyes but she took it, slowly taking a bite. Then another. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. She finished the yogurt and set it on the table next to her bed. "Thanks, I guess I needed that."

"You want the other one?" Jimmy asked.

She shook her head, "Let's not push it."

Jimmy nodded, "Okay…you tired? It's going on eleven o'clock."

She half smiled, "Jimmy, I couldn't sleep right now if I tried."

"I kinda figured that," he smiled back.

Jimmy found a CSI rerun on tv and they watched in comfortable silence. About fifteen minutes before it was over he glanced over to find that Annie had finally dozed off. He was too nervous to sleep so he settled for another rerun while his mind raced over all of the possibilities of their future. He hoped there was nothing wrong with Annie or the baby. He also hoped that Annie would wake up feeling better about the whole situation, which he knew was a long shot at least for a few days anyways. He finally felt his eyes getting heavy around the end of the next episode. He drifted to sleep in the recliner, making sure he kept a hold of Annie's hand. He wanted to be sure and wake up if she had one of her painful episodes in the middle of the night.

Both marshals slept peaceful into the night. Around 3:15 in the morning the heart rate monitor started to slightly pick up speed. The nurses at the station down the hall noticed this immediately and paged Maya just as they had been told.

In the room Annie woke suddenly. At first she was oblivious to the pain, and then it hit her. She automatically squeezed Jimmy's hand, which in turn jolted him awake. He sat up quickly to find Annie with her eyes closed extremely tight and her jaw clinched. He immediately knew she was in a lot of pain. Maya entered the room within seconds, immediately looking to the monitor.

"Okay Annie, I know you're hurting, but I have to see if I can reposition this. Keep your legs extended for me," Maya said as she grabbed the monitor and pulled it to a certain spot. At first it still didn't show anything, but as the pain continued, the numbers on the monitor slowly started to rise.

Maya shook her head, "This is what I was afraid of," she said more to herself than anyone else in the room.

Jimmy held Annie's hand until she finally started easing up on her grip. She slowly opened her eyes, "I'm gonna be sick," she whispered weakly.

Maya quickly handed Jimmy a small pan. He held it up to Annie who grabbed it and rolled onto her side, not caring anymore about the monitor that Maya was watching. She heaved into the pan painfully. Her stomach was so sore and every time she retched she felt her muscles burn. She emptied her stomach into the pan, and then slowly laid back onto the bed. She leaned her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, "Well, what's wrong with me doc?"

Maya blinked, "Well, you weren't lying when you said it was bad." She shook her head, "I don't really know…but I do know that it was intense enough to trigger a small contraction. Thankfully the contraction was nowhere near strong enough to do any harm. My biggest fear is if the pain starts lasting any longer, it will cause the contraction to intensify which could cause a miscarriage, or preterm labor farther into the pregnancy. The only thing we can do right now is keep a close eye on you. I don't think putting you in bed is going to help, but I do want you to take it extremely easy. Don't be chasing down criminals on back streets or anything like that. I recommend complete desk duty until we figure out if this is going to get any worse. Plus we have to keep an eye on that cyst. It should shrink pretty quickly, but I want you back in here first thing Monday morning so I can check on it. I will check my schedule and text Jimmy with a time, if that's okay with you," Maya said.

Annie nodded, "So does that mean we can go home?"

Maya nodded, "Yes. If you start bleeding, or the pain gets worse or starts lasting longer, call me immediately. And Annie, I know this is a big shock…if you have any questions or need anything, don't hesitate to call me. Any friend of Jimmy's is a friend of mine."

Annie smiled half heartedly, "Thanks."

By the time Annie and Jimmy got home it was after four in the morning. They came in and went straight to bed, both were exhausted enough to fall asleep right away. A little after nine that morning Jimmy woke to the ringing of his phone. After silencing it he gently rolled out of the bed and padded into the living room before answering. "This is Jimmy," he said still sleepy.

"Hey Cowboy, you sound like you just got up…I thought Annie had to be at the hospital early," Daisy said on the other end of the line.

Jimmy ran his hand down his face trying to wake himself up, "Yea, to make a long story short, the surgery got postponed."

"Well, that might be a good thing. Jimmy…Annie got a letter from Diablo. It showed up this morning. I seen it laying on her desk on top of her other mail and happened to notice the return address in the top left corner…it just says W. D. Vasquez with some bogus address that doesn't exist…I haven't opened it. I didn't know if I should or if Annie would want to do the honors herself," Daisy explained.

Jimmy shook his head. This couldn't have happened at a worse time but Jimmy knew what had to be done. No matter how bad he wanted to, this couldn't be put off. "We'll be in as soon as we can." Jimmy disconnected quickly before she could ask any questions about why Annie wasn't in surgery. He wasn't sure how to answer that question but he knew they better figure it out before they walked into the office because it would be the topic of the day.

He walked back in to find Annie in the bathroom brushing her teeth. "Hey, how you feeling?" he asked as he leaned up against the door.

Annie rolled her eyes a little, "Just peachy," she said as she rinsed her toothbrush off and put it back in it's place. She pulled her hair back into her signature low pony tail, "So who was the phone call from?"

"Daisy," he answered, not knowing how to tell her about the letter.

"Jimmy, what are you not saying?" she asked, feeling his tension from across the room.

"Annie, she found a letter on your desk…from Diablo," he said stepping towards her.

She turned around and leaned up against the cabinet, "Son of a bitch…"

Jimmy propped up next to her, "She didn't open it…wasn't sure if you would want her to. How do you wanna play it?"

Annie rolled her eyes and tilted her head back, "I guess we should go in…boy his timing sucks…"

Jimmy nodded, "Tell me about it…Annie, are you okay with this?"

"Jimmy, I need to do this. Can we just, not talk about the whole…pregnant thing today? Please? I promise to take it easy but I just…I need to work," Annie said, straining to get her feelings out in the open.

Jimmy nodded, "Okay, but we need to get a story worked out about why you're not in surgery…you know people are going to ask."

"Yea, I don't know, the doctor had an emergency so we had to reschedule," Annie suggested.

"Okay, that works…for now," Jimmy said. "Well, let's get dressed. How about some breakfast?"

Annie swallowed, knowing Jimmy would make sure she tried to eat, "Maybe some toast, I wanna keep it light. My stomach still doesn't feel great."

Jimmy nodded, "Okay, just promise you will try and eat something. We can stop and grab some yogurt on the way in."

They stopped at the grocery store and Jimmy ran in and grabbed a box of Yoplait with several different flavors in it. When he jumped back in the escalade Annie smiled at him, "You carryin that in?"

Jimmy looked at her, "Honey, if you will eat it I will carry it around with me all day!"

Annie smiled again, reaching for his hand from across the console, "Thanks Jimmy…for everything."

Daisy met them at Annie's desk when they arrived at the office. "So, why no surgery this morning?"

Annie looked at her and barely shook her head, hating to lie to her friend. But when the alternative of telling the truth and bringing back all of the emotions that she had worked so hard to suppress came to her mind, the lie came out much easier. "The doctor wanted to postpone…I think he had some kind of emergency or something."

Daisy nodded, "Well, like I told Jimmy, that might be a good thing. If Diablo is going to resurface right now it's probably best if you stay as mobile as you can. I know your knee isn't as good as before, but it's definitely the best it has been since the accident."

Annie nodded, "You're probably right." Annie took the letter from her desk, "Who else knows about this?"

"Just Marco and Luke, they were here when I found it. I think they are in there getting coffee now." Daisy looked toward the kitchen area and seen Luke and Marco talking while they were making a new pot of coffee.

Annie took the envelope, carefully tearing it open and pulling out the letter inside. She took a deep breath as she slowly unfolded it. On the inside of the letter there was a picture. Annie pulled it out and seen that it was of her and Jimmy on the dance floor of the bar that the team frequently went to after a case or a long day. It was definitely taken from the inside of the bar, which meant that Diablo had been in there, or he had an accomplice in there snapping photos. It was a little grainy, which probably meant it had been taken from a cell phone. Annie set the photo on her desk, "The son of bitch wants us to know that he can get in and out of somewhere without being noticed. He has been right under our noses and we didn't even know it. This picture was taken when we went to the bar about a week ago after we were stuck doin paperwork all day. Thank God we were all still pretty sober when we left or who knows what he may have tried." She then looked back to the letter.

_Dearest Annie,_

_I just wanted to give you an update on what I have been up to the last month. First, my father and I spent some quality time. We picked up a couple blue eyed blondes in a bar in south Texas and took them back to our hotel room. I still don't think their bodies have been found! They were absolutely terrified, you should have seen the look on their faces when they woke up naked and tied to a bed. Maybe after they are found I will send you a picture, but not until then. You would think someone would have noticed the smell by now, it's not like we buried them that well. After that we continued our road trip, I think I may have gotten spotted by an old woman in McAllen…she was staring at me and I seen her holding a flyer. I didn't stick around too long just in case. I thought about teaching her a lesson, but that would have been too careless of me. I hope you have been taking care of yourself. I've seen you going to the doctor. Your knee seems to be a lot better which I am glad to see. That means you should be ready to continue our game. I am giving you fair warning, I'm back. Don't try to find me, because you wont. Don't try to see me, because you can't. But know that I'm here, watching, waiting, and when the moment comes, you will be mine. Until then, take care of yourself. I will see you soon._

_Love always, _

_El Diablo _

Annie threw the letter down on her desk. "Who does this son of a bitch think he is. I am so sick of his threats. I just wish he would stop dragging this out and make a move already. Daisy, let's get some protective details back on Mika Stevens and Casey Johns, just in case."

Daisy nodded, What about you? Should I set yours back up too?"

Annie thought briefly then shook her head, "I want him to think he has an opening…"

Jimmy jumped in, interrupting Annie mid sentence, "No way Annie, you are not taking that risk, not now," he said shaking his head.

Annie glared at him, "Jimmy, shut up and let me finish. Set up a detail for me as well, but make sure they understand that I don't want them seen. Be very careful about staying under the radar, the first time I see him, I will be requesting a different guy. If I can spot him, I'm sure Diablo will be able to also."

Jimmy shook his head, "I still don't like it. That means the detail has to keep his distance, you may as well not have one at all."

Annie glared at him again, "Well, that's also an option. You are with me all the time, I don't really see why I need someone else."

Jimmy rolled his eyes, "Daisy, make sure anyone coming into Annie's building at night is screened carefully. I want officers at the front and back entrance of the building at night, as well as at the other two women's buildings." He then looked back to Annie, "The rest of the time I can deal with it just being me and you, but this asshole is not going to catch us off guard in the middle of the night…it's too dangerous."

Annie knew Jimmy was right, especially now. She was just tired of dragging this out. If it wasn't for her knee or this…other issue that she still couldn't bring herself to think about, she would be using herself to bait Diablo up and there wouldn't be anyone that could stop her. But she couldn't do that now. She knew she was at a serious disadvantage, but she also knew they had to come up with a plan soon. "Okay, you win. But I have another idea that may work as long as we really sell it. It's time to stop this son of a bitch once and for all. Get the team together after you set up the details. Jimmy and I will meet you in the conference room in half an hour." Annie grabbed all the files she had on Diablo and headed for the conference room with Jimmy right behind her.

Daisy picked up the phone as she watched the two walk away. There was something different between them this morning. An uneasiness that had never been there before. And Jimmy kept saying things like 'not now' and 'it's too dangerous'. She wondered what he meant by that. Annie must have told him about the spells she had been having. That had to be it, Daisy decided.

**Well, there it is finally…this chapter has been a little hard to write and I apologize if some things seem unrealistic. Remember that it's just a story, completely fiction, so anything can happen…right? Let me know what you all think…good or bad, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Hopefully the next chapter will have a good mix of the case and personal issues…I am already started on it and hopefully I will get through it quicker than this one! Keep those reviews coming though…that seems to help!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, finally here is chapter 11. It has taken longer than I expected to write this chapter and I apologize for the wait. Thank you all so much for the reviews, please keep them coming!**

**Again, all mistakes are my own…enjoy.**

Chapter 11

Annie and Jimmy sat down at the big table in the conference room. Annie had grabbed a yogurt out of the box and was slowly eating as she thought her plan through.

"So, what's on your mind Boots?" Jimmy asked anxiously.

"Well, you know how on television they are always using stunt doubles for actors? I was thinking that if we can find a cop that looks enough like me we may can come up with a plan to lure Diablo out of the woodworks. We have to start presenting him with some opportunities and sooner or later he is going to act. If he's telling the truth, if I am what he really wants and he is really watching and waiting for the right moment, we have to make that happen. The plan has to be good though, and the cop has to be good. I don't want to put someone that can't handle herself in harms way," Annie suggested. She knew they would have to do this just right to pull it off, but she was sick of waiting for this guy to strike.

Jimmy pondered on her idea. He finally nodded a little, "That could work. But it's gonna take a lot of planning and we are going to have to find someone that can pass for you at a fairly close distance."

Annie nodded, "It would have to be a bait and switch. However we do this, he has to really think it's me."

Jimmy furrowed his brow, "Yea, that's the part that worries me. First things first, let's get in the database and see if there is a cop out there that has what it takes to make this thing happen."

They both went to work on their computers. Five minutes later the rest of the team walked in and they explained the plan to them. They all decided that they would take a half hour to look for female cops that could pass for Annie and then pool their results and see what they could come up with.

In the middle of the search Annie started feeling a little queasy. She rolled her eyes as she took some deep breaths to try and calm her stomach, but in the end it wasn't enough. She calmly got up and walked towards the door not saying anything to anyone in fear that she would lose the little control she had left. When she exited the room she bolted for the bathroom, making it just in time. Just as she finished she heard a tap on the stall door. "You alright?" Daisy asked from the other side.

Annie stood and opened the door, "Yea, this son of a bitch has my stomach in knots," she lied. "I'm just so pissed and frustrated…I just wish we had something to go on."

Daisy nodded, "Yea, tell me about it. Jimmy looked a little worried about you so I said I'd check on you. Everything okay with you two? Something seemed a little off this morning."

Annie half rolled her eyes, "Yea, we're fine. He worries too much."

"K well if you need anything, like someone to kick his ass, I'm here," Daisy smiled.

Annie laughed, "Oh, I think I can handle that…thanks though."

The two women made their way back to the conference room to find several blue eyed blonds up on the big screen. Annie was impressed that some of the cops really could pass for her, even up close.

"Well, what do you think?" Marco asked. "We still have to narrow down height but this is a pretty good start. All of these women work in the greater metropolitan area so they should all be pretty tough cookies. Do you want me to start making some calls?"

Annie put her hand up to silence Marco, "Let's just slow down okay. These two are too tall," she pointed to two of the women, "And this one would have to get a serious hair cut. This one here may be worth checking into, and this one, she's too young. There's no way I'm using a 25 year old to try and lure this guy out." Annie looked at the few others that were left on the screen. "Let's start with her," she said pointing to a picture on the screen.

Jimmy pulled up the information of the woman Annie had suggested, "Karen Roberts, 32. Been on the force since 2003. Trained in martial arts so she should be able to handle herself. I'll call her precinct, see if she's interested."

Annie nodded, "If she says yes, have her come down here but tell her to wear a cap with her hair tucked up in it and maybe sunglasses too. We need to compare her in person and make sure she can still pass. That picture is what, two years old? In the meantime Marco, give this one here a call and have her do the same. I want to get the ball rolling on this ASAP. I don't want another victim on our hands."

The team got to work. Luke continued checking the database for Annie look a likes, expanding his search to other big cities in Texas. They needed to have the best match possible if this was ever going to work.

Five minutes later Jimmy came back into the room, "Roberts is a no go. Had a baby last year and apparently put on a few pounds along with it. Luke, you find anything else?"

Luke nodded, still staring at the computer, "If this woman still looks like this she could definitely pass for Annie. She is in Dallas but I think she may be worth looking into. Same height, hair, eyes, and looks to be the same weight." Luke didn't actually know what Annie weighed but he was guessing around 115 or 120.

Annie glanced at the weight, "Yea, she's pretty close…see if she's willing and then have her send us an updated photo."

"You got it boss," Luke smiled.

Annie walked toward the kitchen, feeling Jimmy's eyes on her. It felt great to actually be doing something that may end up stopping this guy. She nonchalantly grabbed her blue coffee mug and filled it up. She was in the process of adding creamer and sugar when she heard Jimmy at the doorway. "What Jimmy, I'm fine…go away," she told him without turning around.

Jimmy crossed over to her and leaned up against the cabinet beside her, "Boots, I know you're fine…but…you're not suppose to drink that," he said staring at the steaming coffee.

Annie looked at him, realization washing over her, "Dammit," she said frustrated as she turned away quickly pouring the coffee into the sink. "I guess I'll have a fucking water," she said angrily as she jerked the refrigerator door open.

Jimmy opened the cabinet and started going through it, "Hold on, I think we have some decaf up here," he said as he pulled out the green Folgers can. He dumped the coffee in the pot out and started a fresh pot with the decaf. After he had scooped some grounds in, he returned the green can to its place in the cabinet, "There, no one will know the difference."

"Yea well, that kind of defeats the purpose of coffee," she said as she leaned against the cabinet beside him.

He looked down at her, "How you feeling?"

"I'm fine Jimmy…I wish you'd quit asking me that. I know you're worried but I need you to back off a little bit. I am keeping it together right now and the last thing I need is a reminder of our situation," she stared down at the floor. She didn't want to hurt him but she felt smothered and she knew if she didn't tell him this now she would end up blowing up on him later.

"I know. I'm sorry, just remember to take it easy okay…that's the last thing I'm gonna say," he told her as he slowly walked out the door without turning back.

'Great, now he was going to act like a puppy who just got yelled at and mope around for a while', she thought rolling her eyes. She opened the fridge and grabbed another yogurt. She really didn't feel like eating but she knew she should try.

"What's wrong with Jimmy?" Daisy asked as she came in to refill her coffee cup.

Annie smiled sarcastically, "I told him to back off."

Daisy nodded understandingly, "He's a little worried huh?"

"Yea, that's an understatement. More like every time I turn around I run into him. He follows me around like I'm a damn second grader and I've had enough," Annie confided.

"Did you tell him about the pain you've been having?" Daisy asked, not wanting to pry but knowing that Annie's knee wouldn't still have Jimmy worried this much.

"Yea, it happened again last night and he witnessed the whole thing," Annie told her. It wasn't a lie…it just wasn't the whole truth.

"That's what's wrong with him then. He is just overprotective. It would drive me crazy too," Daisy admitted.

"Hmm, it's more like overbearing…and that just pisses me off. I have made it just fine my whole life with no one telling me what I needed to do and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let somebody start now," Annie said getting more worked up the more she thought about it. She took a breath shaking her head. She had no idea why she was being so open with Daisy. It wasn't like her to talk about her how she felt to anyone.

Daisy noticed Annie's sudden change in demeanor. "Look, I don't mean to pry, or sound like Jimmy, but are you sure you're okay? You do seem a little off your game."

"Thanks for the concern Daisy, but I'm fine. Now, let's get on this Diablo thing. I am ready to get this son of bitch off the streets of our city," Annie said as she poured her a cup of decaf and quickly added cream and sugar.

"Yea, okay. I'll go see what Luke found out…" Daisy grabbed her coffee and hurried out of the room.

When Annie and Daisy walked into the conference room Luke already had an updated photo of the Dallas detective up on the big screen. "Wow, I think we've found our woman," Daisy commented.

Annie was a little shocked at the resemblance. It wasn't exact, but it would fool anyone from a small distance away. "Meet Detective Micah Young," Luke said proudly.

"Good job Luke…now see how quickly you can get her to Houston," Annie said smiling at the young marshal.

"Already done, some of our guys are picking her up from the plane and bringing her in through the garage, that way there is no chance of Diablo seeing her," Luke explained.

Annie nodded, "Well, you just thought of everything. Thanks Luke, now go update Marco and Jimmy."

When Luke was gone Annie sat down and started planning. She knew however they did this, they would have to be very careful. They couldn't afford for anyone to mess up even the least little bit, or someone could very possibly get killed. Once Diablo was cornered, there was nothing he wouldn't do to get away. He knew he was too far gone to expect any leniency from any DA and his only hope would be to escape somehow.

"So whatchya thinking?" Daisy asked.

"I'm thinking we better have our shit together when this goes down or it's never gonna work. I know Jimmy doesn't want me involved at all, but for this to have the best chance of working I'm gonna have to do my part. Diablo has to think he's coming after me, not some look alike," Annie explained.

"I hate to say that I agree. This may be the only chance we get because if we screw up, he will never fall for it again," Daisy nodded.

"If he even falls for it this time. It's gotta be perfect. She's not just gonna have to look like me. She's gotta act like me. She's gotta get the same walk, the same body language, everything…" just then Annie trailed off and gripped the table, feeling the pain wash over her. She put her other hand on her stomach and bent over in the chair, shutting her eyes and clinching her jaw.

Daisy jumped up and hurried to her. "Annie, talk to me, how bad is it?" Daisy knelt down beside her, unsure of what to do. After a few seconds Daisy noticed her tighten her grip on her stomach. This was intense, "Just try to breath," Daisy said.

"Aaaah," Annie could only moan. She held her breath and rocked forward and backwards trying somehow to get the pain to ease.

"I'm gonna get Jimmy," Daisy said quickly standing up.

All Annie could do is shake her head, "Please, no" she finally got out.

Daisy listened to Annie and knelt back down but it didn't matter, Jimmy was walking by and peaked in to check on them anyways. When he saw Annie doubled over in pain he rushed to her side. "How long has she been like this?" he asked looking at Daisy.

"I don't know, a minute maybe," Daisy said shaking her head. "What can I do?" Daisy asked.

"Get her the trash can, she will probably be sick once it passes," Jimmy said trying to get Annie to look at him. She didn't show much sign of the pain letting up. "Annie, is it worse?"

Annie just subtly shook her head. She slowly started to get her breath back but continued to rock back and forth holding her stomach. Finally she motioned for the trash can. Daisy handed the small can to Jimmy quickly who in turn set it in front of Annie. She of course got sick, feeling the muscles in her stomach burn every time she heaved. Jimmy sent Daisy after a wet cloth and when she left he waited on Annie to lean back in her chair. "Is it gone now?"

"Mostly," Annie said hoarsely.

Jimmy shook his head, "What do you mean, mostly?"

"It still hurts a little…no more than the last time though," she responded. She felt weak and had broken out in a cold sweat. This usually happened after she got sick like that, but Jimmy thought it was still a little worse than normal.

"Annie, I wanna call Maya, just make sure you don't need to get checked out," he said urgently.

Annie shook her head as Daisy walked back in, "Jimmy…just give me a minute. It was no worse than the last time, I promise."

Jimmy rolled his eyes, not caring that Daisy had came back in. "You are unbelievable. How can you not care more about this? How are you not worried at all?"

Annie looked up at him weakly, "Jimmy, I do care."

Jimmy shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, "You coulda fooled me." He looked to Daisy who was keeping her distance from the two, "Take care of her will ya?" Jimmy turned and walked out the door, leaving Annie teary eyed still sitting in the chair.

"Dammit," Annie said softly. She was so frustrated with him right now. She knew he was worried about her, about the baby, hell about everything. She also knew there was nothing that the doctor could do about this pain. She knew it was just like the last time she experienced it. Maybe she should have just compromised and told Jimmy to call just to let Maya know that she had had another episode.

Daisy walked up and handed Annie the cloth. Annie took it, wiping the sweat from her brow before wiping her mouth. "Can I get you anything? I brought you some water," Daisy asked as she handed her a cold bottle of water.

"Thanks." Annie took a small sip.

"You know Annie, maybe this bait and switch thing isn't such a great idea. I mean, if you have an episode like that in the middle of it…" Daisy trailed off.

Annie rolled her eyes, "I've thought about that too. We are going to have to come up with something that leaves me out of it. I can't take that chance." Annie unconsciously put her hand back on her stomach. She knew she would never be able to live with herself if something happened that could have been avoided. This pregnancy was completely unexpected and still scared the hell out of her but she knew deep down that she had to do everything she could to give this baby the best chance that she could give it. Not only would Jimmy never forgive her if something happened, she would never forgive herself.

Daisy was a little shocked. It wasn't like Annie to think of her own safety like that. She could tell Annie was deep in thought now, which also worried her a little. She wondered what was really going on to cause Jimmy to storm out like he did. "Wow, Jimmy's really gotten to you huh?"

Annie just shook her head, "It's not just Jimmy," she said quietly.

Daisy furrowed her brows, but before she could respond Marco, Luke, and Jimmy entered the room. "Wow, you look like hell," Marco said when he seen how pale Annie was.

"She's sick…shouldn't even be here," Jimmy said shortly.

Annie just rolled her eyes and stayed quiet. The last thing she wanted was to get in a fight with him in front of the whole team. "Let's all sit down and start planning. It's gonna have to be damn near perfect if it's ever gonna work…And guys…I'm gonna have to sit this one out. The plan is going to have to be good enough to work without me."

The whole team looked to Annie, shock written all over their faces. The questions in their eyes were making her very uncomfortable. Jimmy finally recovered, giving Annie a thankful look. He nodded to her before he looked back to the rest of the team, "Okay, let's sit down and figure this thing out." He then looked back to Annie, "You come up with anything so far?"

"Well, I'm thinking whenever we decide to do this, you and I should go home after work, just like always," Annie said looking to Jimmy. "When it gets late, we can send the decoy out acting like me, maybe with a cap pulled down tight. That way it will look like I am trying to hide my face so Diablo won't notice me, but will really be hiding her face so he won't notice that it's not me."

Jimmy nodded, "Sounds good, but we have to have this decoy actually heading somewhere specific so we can have plenty of backup on her route."

"Yea, it's also gotta be believable. Jimmy's been staying with you for over a month now and you haven't left home by yourself not one time when there was a threat that Diablo could be near. Maybe you and Jimmy should get in a fight before you enter your building, that way when Diablo thinks he sees you leave, it will be a little more conceivable. You should have the decoy on the phone when she comes out. She should act really upset and maybe burn a little rubber when she pulls onto the road in your escalade," Daisy suggested.

Annie nodded, "That's good Daisy…now we just have to figure out where I would go after Jimmy pissed me off."

"What about the park?" Luke suggested. "Nothing like a good jog to blow off some steam."

Annie raised her eyebrows, "Yea but he's gonna know something's up if we make it too easy for him."

"When you and Jimmy are fighting you could yell something like 'I can handle myself' so that if Diablo's close enough he may overhear you, then when you get out at the park you could strap your holster to your leg. That way, maybe he will think you are trying to prove that Jimmy is overreacting," Marco added his two cents to the plan.

The whole team sat in thought for a minute. Finally Jimmy broke the silence, "That could work."

"Only if this decoy can pass the test. It's gonna take some time to get her prepared. Luke, what time is her plane suppose to land?" Annie watched Luke check his watch.

"Thirty minutes…she should be here in just a little while," Luke told her.

"Okay, Luke, you and Marco go pick her up. I don't want someone else screwin this up before we even get a chance to get started. Make sure she is low in the back seat when you get close to the office, and make sure you get her up here without her being seen. Got it?" Jimmy asked.

Both nodded and hurried out, leaving an uncomfortable Daisy standing in between Annie and Jimmy. "Okay you two, I'm saying this as a friend and not a coworker…you need to get whatever it is that's got you turned inside out taken care of unless you want everyone to find out about this secret relationship you've got going on."

Daisy couldn't help but notice the sudden tears that welled up in Annie's eyes. Annie looked down to try to hide the sudden unexpected emotions from both Daisy and Jimmy, but it was too late. Daisy quickly headed towards her, "Annie, what's wrong…are you hurting again?"

Annie shook her head and quickly wiped her tears. "I'm fine Daisy," she said unconvincingly as she looked up with glassy eyes. "Just tired I guess."

Daisy nodded, "I'm gonna go grab some coffee…you guys need anything?"

They both shook their heads and watched as Daisy headed for the lounge. When she was gone Annie stood up on shaky legs. Jimmy walked over and pulled her into a hug. Annie couldn't stop the tears now, they soaked through Jimmy's shirt as she buried her head in his chest. "Sshh, it's gonna be okay," Jimmy said softly while rubbing up and down her back.

He held her and let her cry for a while, and when she was finally finished she pulled back and looked up at him with red brimmed eyes, "I'm sorry Jimmy…this is just…so hard for me. I don't know how to handle it."

He pulled her back into a hug, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on the top of her head, "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't push you so hard, and I should listen to you more. You just scare me to death…I never know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours."

She shook her head against his chest, "Right now, I don't either. But I do know that you and I are on the same page now. I promise I will be careful, but I still had rather not say anything to anyone yet. I mean, we wouldn't even know about this yet if we hadn't of made that trip to see Maya last night. I want to just take it easy around here and at least get a good report from the doc before we spill the beans to the chief, if that's okay with you." She looked up at him with misty eyes.

He smiled sweetly down at her, "So does this mean you've finally come to terms with this?"

"Something like that…but don't expect me to do anything crazy like marry you just because I'm carrying your child," she smiled softly up at him. "To tell you the truth, when I tell the chief about this I might not should even tell him it is yours, at least for a while…I mean, I think I had rather him think that I was promiscuous than split our team up because he doesn't think we can work together."

Jimmy kissed her softly, "How about we cross that bridge when we come to it…we will talk to the chief together…I think the worse he will do is make sure you and I partner up with someone from the rest of the team instead of each other. Half the time we do that anyways," Jimmy said trying to ease her nervousness. He really had no idea what the chief would do or say, but there was no way he was letting Annie go through any of this alone.

Annie nodded. She was still scared to death, but she knew this was something she and Jimmy had to decide on together. She finally pulled away and sat back down in the chair. She rubbed her hands over her face that was now swollen from crying. "Why don't you go lay down for a little while? I know you're tired after last night," Jimmy suggested.

Annie nodded and yawned at the same time. "I think I may take you up on that, as long as you will come wake me when everyone gets back."

"Will do," Jimmy said with no intention on following through with that promise. He knew she needed all the rest she could get. He gave her a soft kiss and walked her to the door. He watched her head down the hall towards the bunks. "I love you Annie Frost," he said under his breath. Then he turned and went to find Daisy and to work on the plan to catch Diablo a little more before the rest of the team got back with the woman that could hopefully set this plan into motion.

**Well, there is chapter 11, I hope it was worth the wait! I went back and forth on a lot of things in this chapter so I finally decided to just post it and see what all of you guys thought. I am trying to keep these folks in character as much as I can but it's getting harder as the story goes on…please let me know what you all think! P.S. Suggestions are always welcome!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here is the next installment…I'm trying to get the updates up a little quicker. I hope everyone is still reading and enjoying this…it has taken on a life of its own! Thanks for the reviews and please don't forget to drop another after this to let me know what you all think and what if any suggestions you may have! **

**Again…all mistakes are my own…Enjoy!**

Chapter 12

Jimmy found Daisy at her desk sorting through some paperwork. "Hey, I sent Annie to grab a nap before the others get back. You wanna work through some of the finer details of this plan so maybe we can get something going pretty soon? I mean, the longer this decoy cop has to be in Houston the greater the chance Diablo could spot her coming in and out of the building," Jimmy said as he leaned up against Daisy's desk.

Daisy nodded, "I personally think this decoy should stay right here in the bunks until we set this plan into motion. We can provide her with everything she needs and it will be much safer if she just stays put until we need her, don't you agree?"

"Yea, as long as she will agree to it. That's probably the smartest thing anyways, for her and us," Jimmy said.

"So, what about Annie? She doing okay? This endometriosis thing seems to really be kicking her butt," Daisy asked concerned.

"Yea," Jimmy nodded. "She's just got a lot on her mind. She tries to deal with everything by herself and this time bottling it all up isn't working for her. She needs to learn to lean on her team a little more and spread the responsibility around. For some reason it just kills her to ask for help, but right now she needs it."

Daisy nodded sadly, "You know, she listens to you Jimmy. She may try and push you away, or not like what you have to say, but at the end of the day she hears you. It just may take a while for it to sink in."

"Yea, tell me about it. Both of us are pretty stubborn and hard headed so when we really disagree about something it takes a while to make any leeway. We are getting better though, about communicating anyways. At least I think we are…" he trailed off not wanting to reveal too much. He would love to have Daisy's take on the situation but there was no way he would invade Annie's privacy like that.

Daisy smiled, "I'm just glad she finally decided to sit this one out. Even though it's probably killing her to do so, she is making the right decision for the team, and I really respect her for that. I just wish Marco and Luke weren't so clueless on the situation…did you see their faces when Annie pulled herself out of the plan?"

"Yea, but I don't really know what to tell them except maybe lay it off on the knee. That's probably what they are thinking anyways," Jimmy said.

Three hours later Annie rolled over in bed and grabbed her phone to check the time. It felt so good to finally sleep but she still felt extremely tired. When she noticed the time she sat up in bed quickly, earning some major light headedness. She closed her eyes and sat still, waiting on it to pass. When it finally did she crawled out of bed, careful to move slowly and keep one hand touching the bed or the wall at all times. Once she felt steady again, she made her way out of the bunks in search of the team. When she seen everyone, including Micah Young sitting around the bullpen she felt her anger start to rise.

She made eye contact with Jimmy as she passed by their desks and made her way to the lounge knowing he would follow. When they were both in the smaller more secluded room she turned on him, "What the hell Jimmy? Did I not make myself clear enough for you? How long have they been back?" she ran through the questions quickly not giving him much of a chance to answer. She could feel the others looking at them but at the moment her anger overrode the reasoning side of her that would tell her they shouldn't be fighting in front of the team.

"Boots, calm down," he said quietly, pleading with his eyes for her to listen to him. "We just went over the basic things about the case with Detective Young. I knew how tired you were so I let you sleep through that part. Trust me, you didn't miss anything."

She shook her head and stepped a little closer to him so that she could lower her voice but still get her point across, "That's not the point Jimmy. I said I would sit out on the plan, nothing else. I am still suppose to be running this team so you can see where taking a damn nap in the middle of the day might paint a bad picture to someone who is suppose to trust us with her life…with her safety. What the hell did you tell them I was doing anyways…and please don't say napping," she hissed.

He looked back to her with an icy glare. He was trying to keep his anger in check but she was pushing all the wrong buttons and she knew it, "I told them you weren't feeling well. Forgive me for trying to think about your well being. Now, if you wanna talk about painting a bad picture, standing here and fighting with your coworker slash next in command in front of an outsider and the rest of your team…that isn't exactly making you look to damn pretty," he said pointing his finger at her.

She took a step back, the voice of reason in her head making her realize that he was right. "We're not done with this," she said as she turned and retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Damn right we're not," Jimmy turned back to the team and plastered a smile on his face to try and ease the tension. He knew they were watching and he knew they could tell that the fight had been a good one.

Across the room Daisy took a deep breath and looked to Micah Young, "That's Annie," she cut her eyes towards the two marshals that looked like they were about to bite each other's heads off. "She's probably mad because he didn't come get her like he was suppose to. She's real big on first impressions, and in her opinion being sick as a dog is not a good enough reason to not have been in here when you arrived. You'll just have to excuse them," she looked back to Annie and Jimmy who looked to finally be backing down from each other, "they butt heads quite often and they are both too damn stubborn to admit defeat."

Micah smiled and nodded, "My partner and I are the same way. We have been working together so long that we fight like siblings when we disagree. But when we get on the same page, it feels like we are unstoppable."

Daisy smiled back, "Yea, they are the same way. They may throw a few flames at each other, but at the end of the day they usually catch the bad guy, no matter what it takes."

Annie took a lot of deep breaths to try and calm herself down. She knew she probably shouldn't get that worked up over this. She knew Jimmy was really trying to do what was best, but nothing pissed her off more than not being able to trust him with something like this. She knew she needed rest, but she also needed to do her job to the best of her ability. She finally rested her hands on the cabinet with her back still towards Jimmy, "I'm sorry Jimmy. I probably got carried away." It was so hard apologizing for something she felt so strongly about, but she knew if she didn't everyone else on the team including Micah Young would feel the tension between the two of them and that's the last thing she needed right now.

Jimmy stepped toward her, "Probably?" he asked sarcastically.

She turned around and glared at him, "Don't make this harder than it already is."

"I'm not the one that came in throwing punches here," he said staring down at her.

She didn't back away, she just stared back up at him trying to keep her anger in check. She finally shook her head, "I'm not doing this here. We have more important things to worry about." She headed for the door grabbing a banana and a package of crackers out of the basket on the cabinet.

Jimmy stayed behind for a minute. He rubbed his hands over his face as he watched Annie walk over and introduce herself to the Dallas detective, not showing any hint of the anger that he was sure still coursing through her. He clinched his jaw and turned around taking a deep breath as he seen Marco make his way towards him.

"Man, what was that all about? I thought someone was going to have to come pull you two off of each other," Marco admitted as he leaned up against the cabinet across from Jimmy.

He shook his head as he turned around to face Marco, "It was nothing really. She's just sick and really shouldn't even be working and she's pissed because I called her on it. I was suppose to come get her when you guys got back from the airport but I decided to let her rest while we got Micah up to date on the case. She is a little pissed off…to say the least."

Marco laughed, "A little would be the understatement of the year. I saw the looks she was giving you from across the room. I'm just trying to decide if that is sexual tension or if she is just downright pissed off."

"Oh it's definitely the latter," Jimmy said quickly. He knew Marco was joking but he still felt a small flush across his face. Thankfully Marco was watching Annie talk to the new girl and didn't notice the look on his face.

"So, what's wrong with her anyways? She looked a little pale earlier. I was pretty shocked when she pulled herself out of this thing, especially with the past she has with this guy," Marco said still watching the conversation going on across the room.

Jimmy shook his head, "There's no way she could defend herself very good with that bad knee if anything went wrong when we go after Diablo. Plus, she's had some stomach issues that's had her pretty sick these last few days, and you never know when it's gonna hit her. That's what was wrong with her earlier. The doctor is trying to figure it out, but assures her its nothing to worry about," Jimmy added hoping it was enough to satisfy Marco. "Look man, don't say anything okay. You know how Annie is, being sick translates to being weak."

Marco nodded, "My lips are sealed."

Annie held her hand out to Micah when she got close to her. "I'm Annie Frost. I apologize for not being in here when you first arrived, I've been a little under the weather so my partner thought it would be wise to let me rest instead of come and get me like he was told."

Micah smiled back, "No problem Deputy Frost. They just now got me completely up to speed on the case. Sounds like you guys have a real psycho on your hands. I'm just glad that maybe I can help."

Annie sat down and motioned for Micah to do the same. "Please, call me Annie. I'm glad you're willing to help. I hate that I'm not able to bait him up myself but about a month ago I tore my ACL chasing after him so I'm still not even close to 100%. If it came down to a fight I'm sad to admit that there is no way I could hold my own, if you know what I mean."

"Yea, I tore mine in college playing basketball so I know exactly where you're coming from," Micah said.

"Well, if they have you up to date on the case, what do you say we start talking about this plan. It's gonna take a few days for you to get all the little things down. This guy has apparently been stalking me for a few years now, so he is gonna know how I walk and move around, hell even how I drive. It's a little scary when you really think about it," Annie admitted. She wanted this woman to understand how important it was to really learn all the little things. She wanted her to watch and study the way she herself moved around, the way she communicated from a distance, and the way she still slightly favored her injured knee. They had to make sure every little thing was as perfect as they could get it if this was ever going to work.

Annie and Micah talked for a while about everything they would have to work on in the next few days. Jimmy went out and brought back some food from the diner around the corner. He knew Annie needed to eat and was sure the rest of the team and Micah were probably hungry as well. When he came back in he set down the take out boxes, setting Annie's in front of her without saying a word. Annie could still feel the tension as she glanced up and thanked him just loud enough for him to hear. She opened the box to find chicken strips, tater tots, and a salad with a side of ranch. She smiled to herself. He knew exactly what to order her and she was a little shocked at how hungry she actually was.

Jimmy looked to Micah, "I didn't really know what to get you so I brought back an extra chicken basket in case you didn't like the burger and fries I got for everyone else."

She smiled back at him, "Thanks, either will be fine…I'm not too picky."

Annie couldn't help but notice how Micah was a little too flirty when talking to Jimmy. She glanced at Daisy, sure that she noticed it too. Daisy rolled her eyes and turned away before she laughed out loud. Annie took a small bite of salad and watched Jimmy squirm as Micah continued to look at him. Jimmy quickly turned and handed out the rest of the take out boxes. He then sat down at his desk across from Annie and opened his own box, keeping his eyes on his food.

After they ate they gathered in the conference room and talked more about how they would lure Diablo out of hiding. They told Micah how Jimmy had been staying with Annie since Diablo had resurfaced. Luke suggested that Annie and Jimmy start acting angry with each other when they were anywhere that Diablo could be watching, and just act like it gets a little worse every day until they decided to go forth with their plan. That way it would probably look a little more believable when the time came for Micah to storm out posing as Annie and head off by herself.

Annie glanced down, thinking that it would be pretty easy to act pissed off at each other given their most recent fight. She could feel Jimmy's eyes on her from across the room and knew he was thinking the same thing. Just then, she felt the dull pain in her stomach start to worsen. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to tell herself that it wasn't that bad and she could get through it without drawing attention from the others in the room. This was really not the time for another one of her episodes, she thought as she opened her eyes back up and leaned forward a little in her chair.

Jimmy immediately noticed, even though no one else in the room did. He nonchalantly made his way around the table and pulled up a seat beside Annie. He noticed her taking deep tense breaths but he knew she didn't want the others to notice. He glanced her way, capturing her eyes with his questioning look.

She barely nodded at him, letting him know that as of right now she was handling the pain. He nodded back and watched Luke go through the gruesome slide show of Diablo's most recent victims. Luke was explaining how Diablo broke into Mika Stevens apartment and how he went about abducting her, but Jimmy wasn't listening to Luke. He was tuned in to the steady tenseness of Annie's breathing, trying to determine if the pain she was feeling was getting worse. Finally he noticed her breathing start to return to normal. He still kept a close eye on her while Luke and the rest of the team warned Micah about how devious Diablo could be and how even though she would have back up around every corner she still needed to really be on her toes. The last thing they all wanted was for her to get hurt…or worse.

Annie finally spoke, "Guys, there is one thing I want to make clear before we do this. I know we usually try to bring fugitives in alive, and we should of course do our best to do the same here. But, if you think that there is a chance of him getting to Micah and harming her before anyone can stop him, by all means take the shot as long as it's a clean one. I want this son of a bitch stopped at all costs."

The rest of the team nodded in understanding and agreement. Annie then looked to Micah, "I want you to not only have a gun in your holster, have a back up stashed somewhere else on you. If we do this right, he's gonna see you strap your holster on, so that is going to be the first thing he removes in the off chance that he gets to you. And his father is probably still working with him so be prepared for that. Don't let them get a chloroform filled rag over your face, that's how they got Stevens. I want you to understand that this is not your average fugitive. He has a calculated plan for absolutely everything he does, so don't underestimate him. If he gets to you and you can't see any back up, if you get a shot, do not hesitate. Do you understand?"

Micah nodded. She seen how serious Annie was and that brought chills to her. She had heard the stories from the rest of the marshals about how tough Annie was and how she would throw herself into whatever situation she needed to in order to ensure that the bad guy was caught. Apparently this guy had got his claws into her pretty good because behind all of the hate in Annie's eyes, Micah was sure she noticed just a tinge of fear. "I understand. I'll be on guard. I'm gonna use the gym that you guys have in the building to brush up on my martial arts. Anyone care to be my sparring partner?" Mika asked seriously, looking to all the men in the room.

"I think Hurricane is who you want," Jimmy smiled looking to Daisy, "Trust me, she's just as tough as any guy I know and she probably knows more about that kind of fighting than any of the rest of us."

Micah nodded, "Sounds good. You up for a work out?" she asked looking to Daisy.

"You got it," Daisy smiled. Just let me grab some clothes out of my locker.

"Okay, the rest of us are going to head home if that's okay with you two. Micah, if you need anything at all, here is my number. Daisy's gonna stay in the bunks with you. I know you are at a federal office and you can probably handle yourself, but I don't wanna take any chances," Annie said as she handed Micah a card with her cell number wrote on the back.

Both women nodded and exited the room talking about different fighting techniques. Marco jumped up, "I'll see you guys tomorrow. If I hurry I can still take my girl out for a drink!" he said hurrying out the door.

Luke smiled and slowly followed, "I think I'm just gonna go home and kick back on the couch. See you guys tomorrow…and be careful."

Annie smiled a little, "See ya Luke."

After everyone was gone Jimmy checked his clock and noticed it was close to eight pm. He noticed Annie still hadn't made a move to stand up so he sat back down next to her. "You okay?" he asked, deciding to let the fight they had earlier go.

"I will be. Thanks for not making a big deal in front of everyone," she said taking a deep breath and trying to fight off the pain that was still in her lower abdomen.

"You don't look okay Boots. I can't stand to see you hurting like this," he moved a strand of hair out of her face so that he could see her eyes.

She smiled a little, "I wish I could hide it better."

He slightly rolled his eyes, "That's not what I meant. I don't want you to hide it from me. I just…I wish I could make it better."

She shook her head and closed her eyes again, "Jimmy, I'm okay, really. It's not that bad. It's just…constant. And exhausting. Let's go home, maybe a hot bath will help."

He took her hand and helped her out of her seat. She stood slowly, hoping to avoid another dizzy spell. Jimmy shook his head again, "You sure you can make it home?"

She looked up at him with tired eyes, "Yea. Let's go."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her out the door of the large room. When they made it into the hallway he felt her slow up, "Jimmy, I gotta sit for a minute." He stopped at a bench that was against the wall and gently sit her down as he knelt in front of her. "What is it Boots?"

She bent over and held her head in her hands. She felt weak, like she was going to pass out. She took several deep breaths but she was unable to say anything to ease Jimmy's worrying. Just then Daisy came out of the locker room and seen the two, Annie bent over on the bench and Jimmy kneeling in front of her. She went to them, glancing around thankfully to see everyone else in the office had went home.

"She okay Jimmy? Is she hurting again?" Daisy asked quickly as she sat down beside Annie.

"I don't know…she wont talk to me," Jimmy said never taking his eyes off his partner.

Annie slightly shook her head, trying to let them know that this wasn't from the pain. She wasn't really sure what was going on. Then suddenly she was out. Jimmy caught her as she went limp and fell forward. "Dammit, Annie…Annie wake up," he said as he gently laid her in his arms.

She opened her eyes a second later, covering her mouth with her hand quickly. Jimmy motioned to the small trash can that sat beside the bench and Daisy quickly handed it to him. He sat Annie up so that she could lean over it. When she was done Jimmy looked at her worriedly, "You back with us?"

She nodded shakily, "I…don't know what happened," she whispered.

"You passed out, that's what happened," Daisy said. "Happened to me after I gave blood one time…exactly like what you just did. I was only out for a second, then I got sick as soon as I woke up. They said it was because I gave blood on an empty stomach…what all have you ate today?"

Annie just shook her head, still unable to talk. "She ate the chicken and salad I brought back earlier, and some yogurt this morning…" Jimmy said as he watched her.

"Did she keep it down?" Daisy said looking back at him.

He looked to Annie questioningly. "Only the chicken…until now," she replied weakly.

Jimmy slid his arms underneath her, "That's it, we're calling the doctor. Daisy, help me get her to the bunks."

Annie didn't protest, she just wanted to lay down. She felt so tired. She let her head rest against Jimmy's chest and let her eyes drift closed. She felt him lower her down to a bed and when she finally opened her eyes she seen him dialing his phone. She swallowed, unable to find the words to tell him that she was okay.

Daisy sat down on the bed beside her. "Just rest Annie. I'm gonna go get you a snack and some water."

When Daisy came out of the lounge with a package of peanut butter crackers and a bottle of water she almost ran into Micah. "Hey, you almost ready?" Micah asked eyeing the items in Daisy's hand.

"Sorry Micah, I forgot about you…Annie's sick again. Jimmy and I are trying to get her taken care of. There is a punching bag in the gym, looks like you may have to work out without me for now," Daisy said, trying not to divulge too much about her boss.

Micah smiled, "Maybe I can help…I came from a family full of doctors. What's her symptoms?"

Daisy shook her head, "Look Micah, with all do respect I don't think Annie would like it if I brought you in there. Besides, Jimmy's on the phone with the doctor as we speak."

Micah nodded in understanding, "I get it. I know how these kind of things work. I may not be a marshal but I work in a very close precinct. If one of us has a personal issue the last thing we want is for it to get back to the bosses unless it's absolutely unavoidable. If you're worried about me talking, don't be. I will just go work out and you go take care of her. If you need me I'll be in the gym."

Daisy smiled, "Thanks, I'll see you in a little bit."

Daisy entered the bunks to see Jimmy sitting next to Annie who was now propped up on the bed. "How she doin?"

Jimmy shook his head, "Seems a little better. Still pretty weak though."

"I feel better, not great…but better," Annie said quietly.

"Here Annie, I know the last thing you want to do right now is eat but it's what you need," Daisy handed her the crackers and water.

"Thanks," Annie said as she opened the crackers and slowly took a small bite. She knew Daisy was right so she would do her best to get at least a couple crackers down.

Jimmy got up and walked over to Daisy, "I have a friend that is also a doctor. She gets off work in thirty minutes and then she's gonna run by here. She said Annie's probably dehydrated so she is going to bring some fluids since Annie can't seem to keep anything else down."

Daisy nodded, "Jimmy, what's going on? I may not be a doctor but I do know all of these symptoms are not consistent with endometriosis."

Jimmy shook his head and looked to Annie, not sure what to say. Annie met his eyes with her own and silently nodded. Jimmy looked back to Daisy, "We found out last night that…Annie's pregnant."

Daisy furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Annie, "I though you said…I thought you couldn't be pregnant?"

Annie nodded rolling her eyes, "So did I. But apparently those doctors were wrong."

Jimmy explained everything that the doctor had told them the night before. "Wow," Daisy exclaimed when he was finished, "that's a lot to digest."

"Tell me about it," Jimmy said as he watched the now sleeping Annie. "She didn't take the news too well, to say the least."

"I can only imagine. What about you, how you doing?" Daisy asked

"I was shocked, but I had to be strong for her," he said still looking at Annie. "I have known her forever Daisy, and I have never seen her like that. She had me scared to death. She was just so…devastated. Like it was the end of the world."

Daisy smiled a little, "She's just scared Jimmy. I'd be the same way. I couldn't imagine myself with a kid. She'll be fine Jimmy, it's just gonna take her some time to get used to the idea."

"Yea, I just wish she'd talk to me," he said as he sat down on a bed across from the one Annie was on.

"She will…she just needs to process this first. Be patient with her," Daisy said as she sat down beside him.

After a while Jimmy's phone rang. It was Maya saying she was entering the building. Jimmy met her in the hall and lead her to the bunks. Annie was still sleeping pretty soundly with Daisy watching her. "She looks so peaceful, I hate to have to wake her but I'd like to check her out just to make sure everything's okay. It sounds like she's had a pretty rough day," Maya said as she sat her medical bag down.

"Trust me, as tired as she is it shouldn't be hard for her to get back to sleep," Jimmy told her as he sat down on the bed and gently rubbed Annie's face until she opened her eyes. "Hey Boots, Maya is here to look you over."

Annie slowly pushed herself up on the bed. Maya put her hand on Annie's shoulder, "It's okay Annie, stay laying down. I don't want you having another dizzy spell." Maya took a few things out of her bag. After listening to Annie's heart rate and checking her blood pressure she pulled another device out of her bag. "This is a portable ultrasound," she explained as she coated the end of the small wand with gel. "Annie, could you raise your shirt so I can take a look?"

Annie pulled her shirt up allowing Maya access to her flat stomach. After looking everything over Maya smiled, "Everything looks just as it should," she said as she wiped the gel off of Annie's stomach. "From what Jimmy has told me, it sounds like you are really dehydrated and exhausted. This was your body's way of letting you know that you need more rest. I'm going to hook you up with a bag of fluids and then I want you to go back to sleep. When you wake up hopefully you will feel better. I want you to eat first thing in the morning and even if you get sick afterwards I want you to eat some little something every time you think about it tomorrow. And Jimmy," Maya said looking at him, "make sure she has something to drink in her hand all the time. She needs a lot of water, especially if she gets sick a lot."

Jimmy smiled, picking up the water from beside the bed and handing it to Annie, "I can do that."

Maya looked back to Annie, "And you are going to have to start listening to your body unless you want this kind of thing to start happening on a regular basis. When you feel tired, lay down. If you start hurting and it doesn't go away, lay down. Your body can only take so much and when it gets to that certain point it's going to shut down. That's not good for you, or the baby. I'm not saying you can't work Annie, I'm just saying you need to take care of yourself, first and foremost."

Annie nodded, "I got it…I'm sorry you had to come all the way down here."

Maya shook her head, "I don't mind that, I told you to call anytime you needed anything, I meant it." Maya hooked Annie up with the IV and waited for the fluid to enter her body. When it was finished she pulled the needle out of Annie's arm and put a cotton ball and bandage on the small puncture. "Okay, that should do you for now," she smiled.

"Thank you Maya, so much," Jimmy said as he followed her out of the room.

"No problem. Do you have anymore questions Jimmy?" she asked, sensing that he was still worried.

"Now that you mention it, how bad does this pain she has have to get before we need to call you or bring her in. She had another episode today, a bad one, and it just seems like when it's over she's not the least bit worried about it, and she gets frustrated with me because I am," Jimmy admitted.

Maya nodded, "This is not the first time she has experienced this kind of pain. Honestly Jimmy, there is nothing we can do about it unless it gets so bad that it causes her to go into preterm labor. And it's still too early in the pregnancy for that. Right now it could cause her to miscarry, but there is nothing we can do about that either. And as far as giving her something for the pain, anything strong enough to help her with the pain could harm the baby. I just want to know if it starts getting worse so that we can keep an eye on everything. The best thing you can do is listen to her. If she tells you it's not any worse, trust her."

Jimmy nodded and then looked back to Maya, "So if there is nothing you can do about it, why do you want to know if it starts getting worse?" Maya looked at him like she didn't really want to tell him the answer. "Maya, I can handle it…what are you not saying?"

Maya took a deep breath, "If it gets bad enough it could start affecting the baby's heart rate or cause other problems. Jimmy, if the baby for some reason doesn't make it, if it's heart stops beating, we need to know so that we can remove it before any kind of infection and then perform a laparoscopy to get her pain under control. Now right now it's still too early to see a heart beat but everything else looks normal. In a few weeks I will be able to tell you more. I want her to take it easy but until we hear and see that heart beat…just don't get your hopes too high. I hate saying that, but it's the best advice I can give you right now." She looked at him apologetically.

"Thanks Maya, for your honesty. I'd rather you tell me everything instead of something happen that we are totally unprepared for. What's so hard is that there is nothing we can do to better our chances," Jimmy said truthfully.

"I know…we just have to wait it out. She doesn't need to be chasing down fugitives, but I really think working in the office is good for her. It gives her something to do besides sit and think and worry herself to death. Just make sure she eats, drinks, and gets plenty of rest. And call me if you need anything or have any questions," Maya said as she made her way out the door of the building.

Jimmy made his way back to the bunks to find Annie once again sleeping soundly. He explained what Maya had told him to Daisy, mainly because he just needed to talk to someone. He wasn't sure how much to tell Annie, he didn't want her to be stressed or worried but he also didn't want her to get too attached before they were certain this baby was going to be okay. Daisy suggested that he tell Annie everything because that's what she would want. Knowledge is power, and the more Annie knew the more serious she would take the advice that the doctor had given her about taking care of herself.

Jimmy decided to run to Annie's place and feed the dog and grab them both some clothes. He left Annie sleeping with Daisy checking on her every few minutes. Micah had finished her workshop and her and Daisy were watching late night tv in the lounge when Jimmy returned.

"She's still sleeping," Daisy said when he walked back in.

He nodded, "We are just going to sleep here tonight. I'm not waking her up to move her. I'll just grab the bed next to her. See you two in the morning."

"Night," they both said in unison. After he was gone Micah looked to Daisy, "Okay, are they a thing or what?"

Daisy figured the question was coming, "They're just really close. They've been partners for several years and have known each other forever," she said hoping it was enough to satisfy Micah.

Micah raised her eyebrows as she turned back to the television, "Hmm, I think they have you fooled. The way he worries about her…there's definitely something there."

Daisy just turned back to the television and let the conversation die. Disagreeing with Micah would be pointless. Anyone that really watches the two would know there is something between them. Marco and Luke were just so use to the chemistry between them that they hadn't really noticed the subtle changes in the last month. Daisy yawned, "Well, I think I'm going to turn in as well. You tired yet?"

Micah nodded, "Yea, let's get some sleep. Maybe we can get an early start in the morning and get this show on the road pretty soon!"

**Well, there is Chapter 12...it's a little long but I had some trouble finding a good stopping point. The next chapter is going to have some twists and turns and more Diablo action! This story is taking many unexpected turns so just bear with me and please leave a review to let me know if you are all still interested!**

**PLEASE REAVIEW!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you for the reviews! Bookworm0485 you are so right…I meant to add something about how long it took for the IV drip before posting but I was in such a hurry when I finally posted it that I forgot about it! My apologies! This chapter is dedicated to the many faithful readers that always leave a review for me! You know who you are…please keep it up. The reviews are what inspire me to write the next chapter!**

**Again, all mistakes are my own, I hope there aren't many but I apologize ahead of time just in case…enjoy the read **

Chapter 13

Annie didn't wake until early the next morning. When she first opened her eyes she didn't know where she was. Then she rolled over and seen Jimmy on the bed next to her and the memory of last night came rushing back. She slowly sat up on the bed, noticing Daisy and Micah on two other beds across the room. Jimmy must have sensed her movement because he slowly opened his eyes and leaned up. Annie put her fingers to her lips and then pointed at Daisy and Micah who were still sleeping. Jimmy nodded, getting out of bed and putting his hand out for her to take. He grabbed the bag he had brought back with their clothes in it as they made their way out of the room.

"How you feeling?" he asked as they made their way towards the locker room and the showers.

"Much better," she smiled. "I'm actually hungry…I think."

Jimmy smiled, "I'm glad to finally hear that! How about we grab a shower and then I take you out for a nice breakfast?"

"Sounds great," she said as they made their way into the showers. They brushed their teeth as they waited on the water to warm. Then Jimmy walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She turned in his arms so that she could face him and pulled his face down to hers. He captured her lips with his in a gentle yet very seductive kiss.

Annie slid her hands under his shirt, sending a shiver down him when she touched his skin. "You really think we should be doing this here?" he asked as things started intensifying.

"No," she replied as she pushed him against the wall. She continued her assault and eventually he gave in and began tugging at her clothes as well.

They ended up in the shower underneath the hot spray. He gently lifted her and she wrapped her legs around him. He looked in her eyes before continuing, "You sure you're up for this?"

She rolled her eyes and pulled his head back down to her for a deep hungry kiss. That was all it took. He pushed her back against the wall as gently as he could. She threw her head back and let out a moan when he entered her. He struggled to control himself until he felt her climb over the edge. It wasn't long until they were both coming down from their high. He held her close and kissed her gently. "You are amazing," he said, staring down at her with a small smile.

She smiled back at him, her eyes sparkling, "I'm lucky," she said looking at him so seriously.

He sat her back down on her feet and just held her close for a few minutes. "Our water is gonna get cold if we don't hurry up," she finally said.

When they were dressed and Annie had dried her hair they quietly went out into the bullpen to find Daisy starting coffee in the lounge. "Hey, we are going to run and grab a bite, you wanna go or you want us to bring you something back?" Jimmy asked as he stuck his head in the lounge.

"I'm good…not much of a breakfast eater. You might bring Micah something back though. She's still not up," Daisy told him.

Annie and Jimmy walked to the diner around the corner. They talked and ate, keeping all the conversation light. When they were finished they took their time walking back to the office. "Do you think he's watching?" Annie asked quietly.

"I don't know, but he better stay the hell away if he knows what's good for him," Jimmy told her as he put his arm around her and pulled her a little closer.

She smiled as she let her head fall on his shoulder. They walked close until they rounded the corner of the office building. Then they both dropped their arms away from each other and put a little space between them. They were back to strictly partners when they entered the bullpen to find it already quite busy. "What's going on?" Annie asked no one in particular.

"Your secret admirer has supposedly struck again," Marco said as he handed her the message that he had taken. "When I came in your desk phone was ringing off the hook so I finally answered it. It was Captain Keller…said he lost your cell number and to give you this message as soon as you came in."

"Thanks Marco," she said as she looked to Jimmy, handing him the paper that had an address along with Keller's name on it.

"What all did he say?" Annie asked looking back to Marco.

"Just that we have another victim," Marco answered.

"Daisy, let's go check this out," Jimmy said to Daisy who was sitting at her desk. "Annie, be ready to research the victim, I will call and let you know who she is as soon as we get there."

Daisy grabbed her jacket and walked towards Jimmy. Annie watched the two of them and finally spoke up, "Jimmy, I wanna ride…it's a crime scene so it should be secure…don't you think?" she said it in a questioning tone instead of the demanding one that he was expecting.

He thought for a minute, finally bringing his eyes back to hers, "Okay, but you have to promise me that if you start hurting, even the least little bit, you will let me know. If Diablo is watching us out there the last thing I want him to see is…"

"I get it…" she held her hand up to stop him, "I'll let you know." She grabbed her jacket and her gun and badge, attaching them to her belt as they headed for the door.

On the way to the scene Jimmy explained everything that Maya had told him last night. He was a little thankful that it seemed to really get Annie's attention. When they pulled up at the scene Annie followed Jimmy and Daisy to the door. "You take the lead on this one Jimmy."

He nodded, holding the door for the two women. When they entered they seen several HPD officers and crime scene techs hard at work. Annie spotted Captain Keller as he started towards them. "Sorry that we are meeting under these circumstances again," he said. "This seems a little out of pattern though," he said pointing to a picture of a woman with brown hair and eyes.

"Is that the victim?" Annie asked.

"Yea, and this time instead of slitting her throat…he gutted her, straight across the abdomen," Keller said, motioning across his stomach.

"How are you sure it was even him?" Jimmy asked furrowing his brows.

"Left this," Keller handed Annie a note on a small peace of paper.

Annie took it as both Daisy and Jimmy leaned in to read it, _To Annie with love, Diablo_

"What the hell?" she said to no one in particular.

"What do we know about this victim?" Jimmy said, already having a suspicion in his gut.

"Names Emma Finley. Thirty years old, bank teller across town. Single, lived alone. No family that we know of," Keller stated.

"So why the change in pattern?" Annie said shaking her head.

Keller shook his head, "Everything else matched. She was tied to the bed at all four corners, raped, beaten, stabbed numerous times. The only things that are different than his last few vics is what she looked like and the way he finally killed her."

"And her job," Jimmy added. "There's a lot that different. There is something he's trying to tell us."

"What are you drivin at Jimmy?" Annie asked. She could tell there was something that he was thinking and not sharing with everyone else.

Just then a tall dark haired man rushed through the door extremely upset. "No, no this can't be happening. Tell me she's okay…tell me Emma's okay," the man cried.

"Sir, calm down," Daisy said touching his arm. "Let's go outside," she tried to turn him around but he wasn't cooperating.

"No, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving her," he said, holding his head in his hands.

"Sir, what's your name?" Annie asked softly.

"Tim…Tim Reese. I work with Emma at the bank," he said through his tears.

"Come on, let's go outside and we will answer whatever questions you have," Annie said helping Daisy turn him around.

He finally gave in, turning around and walking out the door with the two women. Jimmy followed closely behind. They let Tim sit down on the steps. Daisy sat beside him while Jimmy and Annie stood in front of him. "Mr. Reese, how well did you know Emma?"

"Oh my God, I can't believe this is really happening. After everything we have been through together…and now this," he cried.

"What do you mean?" Jimmy asked.

"Emma and I have been seeing each other for about a year," Jimmy glanced down, noticing the wedding ring Tim was wearing. "I told my wife about us a week ago," Tim said when he noticed Jimmy looking at his ring finger. "We were going to file for a divorce tomorrow. Emma just…" he broke down again, unable to speak through his grief.

Daisy put her arm on his shoulder to try and comfort him. "Emma just what?" she asked after he got himself back under control.

"Emma found out she was pregnant a few weeks ago," he said, breaking down again.

Annie felt her stomach flip. She backed away a few steps, Jimmy quickly following. "Annie, you okay?"

"I…I'm gonna be sick," she said, barely making it around the house before she bent over and emptied her stomach. After a minute she wiped her mouth and leaned up against the side of the small house. "He knows Jimmy," she whispered.

"We don't know that," he said unconvincingly.

She let out a sarcastic laugh, "Yes, we do. Everything about this victim is different. The only consistency between me and her is that she is…she was pregnant. That's why he gutted her," Annie said in a low voice, on the verge of getting sick again.

"Okay, okay. Why don't you wait by the car while Daisy and I finish questioning him?" Jimmy suggested.

She shook her head and took a few deep uneasy breaths before straightening up, "I'm fine now," she said as she started making her way back to Tim Reese and Daisy. Before they got back within hearing distance of anyone Annie looked back to Jimmy, "What I can't figure out is how he found out so quickly," she took a breath, "Hell, we've barely even known for two days."

Jimmy nodded, a thought crossing his mind. He made his way back to Mr. Reese with Annie right behind him. "Mr. Reese, do you know which doctor Emma was using?"

Tim shook his head, a few more tears escaping his puffy red eyes, "She has only had one appointment…I think it was at a clinic at McKinley."

Jimmy immediately pulled his phone out and walked back towards Annie's escalade. He dialed the number and waited impatiently for an answer. "Hey Jimmy, what's up?" Maya said on the other line.

"Maya, I need to know if you have a patient by the name of Emma Finley?" he asked quickly.

"Jimmy, you know I can't disclose that information…doctor patient confidentiality," she answered.

"Maya, Emma Finley was just found murdered in her home. We think it's related to the case we've been working," Jimmy told her.

She took a deep shaky breath, "I seen Emma yesterday, I will have to look to see exactly what time. It was her first OB appointment Jimmy. She was so happy. What the hell happened?"

"I will talk to you about it later. Maya, watch your back okay. Don't leave the hospital or go anywhere else by yourself. You call Jim to pick you up, and if he can't you call me. I will call you later and explain things. Find out what time Emma's appointment was. We need to pull security footage and see if anyone was following her.," Jimmy said disconnecting.

Jimmy looked back to Annie, "Let's go," he said to both women.

Daisy looked back to Tim Reese, "We are so sorry for your loss sir."

When they were in the vehicle headed back to the office Annie finally spoke up, "She was a patient of Maya's?"

Jimmy just nodded.

"Son of a bitch. He followed us there Jimmy. He had to of followed us all the way into the hospital to see where we went," Annie said shaking her head in disbelief.

Jimmy nodded again, "Daisy, see if you can get the security footage for the south entrance of McKinley for the night before last from about ten after eight until midnight or so. Maybe we can get an updated picture of this asshole."

"I'm on it," Daisy said as she got on the phone.

"Dammit," Annie said slamming her hand down on the dash. "What the hell made him jump to this conclusion? How does he know we didn't go see Maya for some other reason?"

"Annie, there's no way he could have known for sure. He still doesn't," Jimmy said, trying to keep his voice even. He knew Annie was angry and frustrated and he needed to stay calm to keep her from getting any more worked up.

"The hell he doesn't Jimmy. He couldn't have painted us a clearer picture in there. He wouldn't have done that if he wasn't sure," Annie said shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose.

Jimmy agreed with her, but he still hated admitting it to himself or anyone else. Finally he nodded his head, "He probably seen Maya enter the office last night with her medical bag too. Apparently he has bee doing some research on her and he knows she specializes in obstetrics. He also must have been watching her clinic yesterday because that's when Emma Finley had her first appointment. We will pull that security footage too as soon as Maya lets me know what time her appointment was."

Daisy finally hung up the phone, "They said they would have the security footage of the other night ready for us by the time we got there."

Jimmy, Annie, and Daisy entered the McKinley hospital about thirty minutes later. They were headed to the end of the hall where the security tech was supposed to be waiting when Natalie, Jimmy's ex girlfriend, rounded the corner.

Annie felt her stomach drop when their eyes met. This had been the last thing on her mind when they had entered the building. Natalie smiled, "Hey guys…what brings you here today? Please tell me there is not another mad man running around in the hospital!"

Jimmy shook his head, "No, not today anyway. We are here on another matter."

Natalie nodded, "Good to know…how have you been? I haven't talked to you since…" she trailed off as Annie and Daisy walked a little further down the hall, leaving Jimmy to talk to her alone.

"I know, we've been…busy. I'm great though. How are you?" he asked trying to be polite.

"I'm good. Been working a lot," she smiled.

Down the hall a little ways Annie stopped to lean up against the wall, Daisy immediately noticing that something was wrong with her, "Annie, you okay?' she asked quietly as she leaned up against the wall beside her, doing her best to block the view from Natalie and Jimmy.

Annie leaned her head back against the wall and took a few deep breaths, feeling the pain start to intensify. She closed her eyes and told herself to breath through it.

"Annie?" Daisy whispered with concern.

Annie took another deep breath and shook her head, "Just a minute," she whispered through the pain. After a few seconds she opened her eyes, "Dammit this is inconvenient."

Daisy rolled her eyes, "Are you okay?"

Annie barely nodded, "Maybe," she said truthfully. She still felt the pain but it was settling back down some. She silently prayed that if the pain was going to hit her hard that it would at least wait until they got away from Natalie. She wasn't ready for her to find all of this out just yet, and she would surely ask plenty of questions if Annie doubled over in the hallway in front of her.

Back up the hall Jimmy was trying to wrap up his conversation with Natalie. "Well, I guess I should get back to work," he said motioning towards Annie and Daisy.

"Yea, me too…call me sometime. You know…just to catch up," she said smiling as she walked away.

Jimmy hurried to Annie and Daisy, noticing how Annie was leaned against the wall. "You okay?"

"Yea," she said nodding and taking another deep breath. "Let's just get through this." She slowly turned and started walking with Jimmy staying close beside her.

The security man started the footage at 8:15 just like Jimmy had requested. Around twenty after eight Annie and Jimmy walked through the hospital entrance. They were followed a few seconds later by a petite Hispanic woman. "I remember her," Annie said pointing to the woman. She was in the waiting room when we were there.

They watched a few more minutes but the only people entering were doctors and nurses and the security guy told them which department each of them worked. "Okay, how about the waiting room in the women's clinic?" Jimmy asked.

"There is only cameras in the hallway leading to the clinic, but I have them right here," the man said.

They watched as Annie and Jimmy made their way into the clinic on the tape. Sure enough, a few seconds later the woman from before followed them in. She seemed uneasy, glancing around quite often like she was looking for someone. "We need to find out who she is," Daisy said, stating the obvious.

"Can you print us off a picture? I would like to show it to some of the doctors and see if they recognize her," Jimmy asked.

"Sure thing," the man pushed a button and a second later a picture of the woman came out of the printer.

The three marshals headed up to the women's clinic. "Is Dr. G working?" Jimmy asked the receptionist.

"Yes sir, but she is with a patient. Can I relay a message?" she asked politely.

"Tell her that Jimmy Godfrey is here to see her as soon as she gets a minute," he replied.

A few minutes later Maya opened the door and led them back to an exam room. When the door was closed Jimmy wasted no time. "Maya, is this woman a patient at the clinic?"

She looked at the picture, "She is not one of mine, but I can check with the other doctors. Jimmy, what's going on?"

He sighed heavily, "Annie's been targeted by a serial killer and he's been tracking her. He somehow knew she was here the other night. He's been targeting women with all of the same features as Annie recently, but this morning Emma Finley was found. The only consistency between Annie and Emma is…"

"That they are both pregnant," Maya cut him off. "So you're telling me that this guy already knows about Annie?"

"Apparently, or at least he suspects it. He must have staked out your clinic yesterday and found his next victim. He also probably seen you come to the office last night," Jimmy said.

Maya took a breath, obviously shaken by the news. "That's pretty far fetched. You sure this isn't a mistake?"

Annie shook her head, "This guy doesn't make mistakes."

Maya nodded trying to take it all in, "So what should I do? I don't want my patients to be in danger. Should we warn them, or at least the ones that have been in the last couple of days?"

"I really don't feel like he's going to go after another one. He made his point plain and clear with this one," Jimmy said looking at Annie. It was the first time that he really admitted that he thought Diablo knew about Annie's condition for sure.

Maya shook her head. "I can't believe you guys do this for a living. This guy sounds like a real psycho."

"You have no idea," Annie admitted.

"So, how about you? How are you feeling?" Maya asked looking to Annie.

"Actually, I felt a lot better this morning," she said trying to smile.

"Yea but she was just hurting pretty badly down stairs a few minutes ago," Daisy said earning a glare from Annie.

"Is it better now?" Maya asked.

"Yea, it's died down quite a bit," Annie told her.

"That's good. But Annie, remember what I said last night. You have to take care of yourself, especially with the extra stress this maniac is putting on you. The more stress you're under, the worse you're going to be. I have seen women come in three to four times a week because they are so dehydrated from being sick all the time and it's mostly caused from worrying. This extra stress is also going to exacerbate the pains that you are having," Maya told her seriously.

Annie nodded, "I feel fine now, really. I promise to take it as easy as possible doc. But we have to catch this guy. Can you pass that picture around to the other doctors? We really need to find out who this woman is."

Maya frowned at her and took the picture from Jimmy, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Jimmy shook his head after Maya walked out. "What's with you?" Annie asked.

"Why are you so stubborn?" he said rolling his eyes. He really thought that she had decided to put this ahead of her job, but apparently he was mistaken.

"Jimmy, you know as well as I do that until we catch Diablo no one can rest easy, including me. Especially now," she admitted when she thought about everything that was at stake. She knew he thought she was putting her job before everything else, but in reality she knew that she couldn't keep this baby safe as long as Diablo was still out there.

"Maybe we will get a lead on this woman. That would be a good start if she is in fact feeding him information. It's all a little off though. He has never worked with anyone like this in the past," Daisy said trying to turn the conversation back to the case in order to prevent a fight.

"Maybe he has something on her. Or he's paying her. It's just not like him to trust someone that much," Annie said.

Jimmy ran his hand through his hair, "I don't like how he's changing everything up on us. He's getting a little too brave."

Maya came back through the door, "Sorry guys, no one recognizes her. There are a couple more doctors that are off today so I made a copy of the picture and I will check with them as soon as I can. I can fax them the photo or call them in if you want."

"Yea, just fax it and give me a call later. Thanks Maya. And, keep this to yourself. We were not exactly suppose to tell you that much about the case. And I'm serious about watching your back. Call me if you need anything okay?" Jimmy told her making sure she took him seriously.

"Yes marshal," she said smiling. "And take care of her. Let me know how she does today and tonight."

"Will do," Jimmy said as Annie rolled her eyes.

When they were all back in the escalade headed toward the office Jimmy spoke up, "Okay Boots, how do you wanna play this?" He already knew what had to be done.

She rolled her eyes, "I don't know…" she sighed, "we're going to have to fill Marco and Luke in…" she trailed off, still feeling very uneasy talking about the situation.

"What about the chief? You know Luke, he like's to do everything by the book," Daisy stated.

Annie shook her head, "Jimmy, I really don't want to get into this with the chief yet. You heard what Maya said about hearing the heartbeat. Plus once the chief knows it's probably gonna spread like wildfire…I'm not ready for that," she said pleading with him with her eyes.

Jimmy took a breath and reached over and grabbed her hand, "Okay, okay…just let me handle Luke. But Annie, we can't put this chief thing off forever. As soon as we hear the heartbeat, and Maya says it looks good, promise me that we will report it."

Annie nodded, "Whenever Maya gives us the all clear. I just don't want everyone finding out and then something happening. I just now got use to the idea, but the last thing I want to go through is for something to happen and have to go back and tell everyone that."

Daisy nodded, "I agree with Annie. How much time do you have to report it anyways, I mean, according to the book?"

"I'm not sure…I haven't checked," Jimmy admitted.

"Seven days," Annie said. She had looked it up yesterday.

"Well, you really have like five more days then," Daisy said smiling.

"That's not enough," Annie said. Maya said we probably couldn't hear the heartbeat until I hit seven and a half weeks. That's close to three weeks away."

Daisy smiled, "Let's just hope Luke can keep his mouth shut for that long."

By the time they made it back to the office Annie was feeling sick again. They made it to the bathrooms inside and she quickly ducked in with Daisy following. She bent over the toilet and heaved. After a few minutes she finally felt like she was finished. Her stomach hurt now, the dull pain that had been there all day getting just bad enough to hinder her. She finally rose and went to the sink, rinsing her mouth out with the cool water.

"We need to get you something to drink," Daisy suggested. Annie just nodded. "Can you make it to the lounge?" Daisy asked.

She nodded again, "Yea," she said, hoping that she was telling the truth. She felt the pain worsen even more. She took a deep unsteady breath, then did her best to push the pain aside at least until she got into the lounge and away from all the prying eyes in the bullpen.

"Hey guys, what did you find out at the crime scene?" Marco asked as he spotted Daisy and Annie walking towards the lounge.

"I think Jimmy is getting things ready in the conference room. I'm sure he will call us all in there when he's done," Daisy said.

Marco followed Daisy and Annie into the lounge. Annie went to one of the small tables and sat down as the pain in her abdomen worsened more. Daisy could now tell that she was obviously hurting. She tried to get rid of Marco, "Hey, why don't you go find Luke. When Jimmy's done he's going to want the whole team in the conference room."

Marco nodded, pouring the creamer into his coffee. "What about Micah?" Marco asked.

"No," Annie said from across the room. "Just the team, that's it."

Marco noticed how tense Annie was. He furrowed his brow and looked back to Daisy, "What's wrong with her? She sick again?"

Daisy nodded, "Something like that…" she whispered.

Marco finally got the hint and left the two women alone. Daisy took a bottle of water over to Annie, "Here you go. You want me to get you some Tylenol?"

Annie shook her head, "Tylenol won't do any good."

"Annie, maybe you should lay down for a bit," Daisy suggested.

"I will. But first we have to get through this briefing," she said as she leaned forward and rested her forehead on the table.

After a few minutes Jimmy made his way into the lounge. He seen Annie and instantly knew she was hurting. "Hey, you okay? You should lay down," he suggested.

She shook her head, "I will…but not until after the briefing. There's no way I'm letting you give the team that kind of news without me."

Jimmy finally nodded, "Okay, then let's get it over with. You sure you're ready for this?"

Annie nodded a little, "I have to be. Diablo made sure of that."

Just then Luke came into the lounge quickly with Marco right behind him. "Annie, Rodriguez just found this taped to the door outside…looks like a another letter from Diablo."

**Well, there is chapter 13...Please don't forget to leave a review! I am trying to mix the personal issues and the case together a little more so that maybe the story can progress…any criticism or suggestions are always welcome! Thanks for reading and I will try to update as soon as I can.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you all so much for the reviews! They keep me going and yes Creek-IB-08, it definitely helps to know that people are still reading. So leave a review when you all are finished reading and I promise to do my absolute best to get the next chapter finished and up as quickly as possible!**

**As usual, all mistakes are my own so I will apologize for them now!**

Chapter 14

Luke handed her the envelope with her name on it. In the top left corner there was the letter D. "Son of a bitch," she said as she looked to Jimmy. "What do you wanna bet this was dropped off by a petite Hispanic woman?"

Daisy nodded, "I'll pull the security footage and see for sure."

Annie watched her leave and then quickly set the envelope down when a thought crossed her mind, "Jimmy, we need to check this for prints…if the woman is the one who dropped this off her prints could help us identify her."

Jimmy went to his desk and grabbed a letter opener and some latex gloves. When he returned, he held the envelope by the corner with his gloved hands and carefully opened it. He slid the paper out and carefully unfolded it. He then sat down by Annie and held the letter so that they could both read it. The rest of the team watched and waited to hear what it said.

_Dearest Annie,_

_I am sure by now you have figured out that I know about your condition. I can't believe you have let this happen. You must be devastated. I seen you leave the doctor's office the other night. I noticed how upset you were. With your family history, I can't say that I blame you. You are probably scared to death to bring a child into this world in fear that it may give in to the darker side that it's grandfather turned to. The side that you fight every day. Not to mention that you never had a great mother figure either. It must pain you to think that this could be the one thing that could push you over the edge. For me on the other hand, it's a dream come true. I have always wanted a child to carry on my tradition, just as I have carried on my father's. The thought of me raising you and your partner's baby must really be unsettling for you, but don't worry. I will give him or her a life full of excitement, the life that you were destined for. The life that your father wanted for you. On the upside, this means you at least get to live until this child is born. The last thing you will see before you leave this world is your child in my arms. My father sends his regards. Take care of yourself. I'll see you soon._

_Sincerely, Diablo_

Annie looked to Jimmy, tears filling her eyes. "Sshh, he's just trying to get in your head Boots. He will never touch you, I will never let that happen," Jimmy said pulling her into his arms and not caring who seen. He kissed the top of her head as he held her.

"Luke, hand me a plastic bag out of that cabinet," Jimmy said pointing to the cabinet across the room.

Jimmy took the bag Luke provided and picked the envelope up by the corner carefully placing it in the bag. "Luke, take this to the lab and have them dust it for prints. I will call and let them know to be ready when you get there. When you drop it off, get back here right away, we will be in the conference room."

Luke nodded, taking the bag and hurrying out the door. "Jimmy, what the hell is going on?" Marco asked concerned.

Jimmy shook his head, "He's turned the tables, Annie is not the only thing he want's anymore." Marco shook his head in confusion. "We will explain everything as soon as Luke and Daisy get back," Jimmy said.

Jimmy picked up his phone and dialed the number to Charlie up stairs. "Hey Charlie, Luke is headed up there with an envelope that I need you to check for prints. This is top priority so I would appreciate it if you could do it right away," he told Charlie when he answered.

"Sure thing, I will call you with results as soon as I get any," Charlie said.

"Thanks man," Jimmy said as he disconnected.

Within minutes Daisy was back, footage in hand. "You ready?" she asked Annie who was still sitting at the table with Jimmy.

Jimmy took a few minutes and told Daisy about the letter, leaving out the part about Annie's family. That's something else the team needed to be told about, but he didn't know that Annie could handle everything at the moment. The problem was, all of it fit together. Somehow Diablo knew a lot about Annie's past. He couldn't have found this information out by just researching her. This had to come from someone that knew her family personally.

Annie rolled her head around and then let it rest on the table again. Maya wasn't lying when she said stress would exacerbate the pain. Ever since they had decided the rest of the team must be told about this unexpected pregnancy, and then the new letter from Diablo had arrived, the pain had constantly worsened. She also felt a tinge of nausea and she knew that would probably worsen as well. Her condition didn't go unnoticed by Jimmy or Daisy. However, they understood how Annie felt about the need to be present when they gave the team this news. Annie finally spoke quietly, trying her best to keep her voice from cracking, "Jimmy, we need to go back in my father's past…find out how Diablo knows so much. There has to be a connection. Maybe his father and mine knew each other somehow. There's just…there's gotta be something…"

"I agree," Jimmy said, noticing the confused look on Daisy's face. "It's a long story," he told her. "One that probably needs told to everyone else on the team as well."

Annie gave a subtle nod and slowly stood, testing her weak legs before she started slowly towards the door. Jimmy kept a hand on her arm, "Take it easy Boots."

They made their way into the conference room. Luke had just gotten back from upstairs and he and Marco were waiting patiently. They immediately noticed Annie's condition. Luke rushed to get her a chair pulled out and ready, "Annie, you okay?"

She gave him a faint smile, opting not to talk. Jimmy stayed right beside her as she eased down in the chair Luke had provided. She tried to take slow deep breaths to keep the pain and nausea under control as much as she could. Daisy quickly pulled up the footage on the big screen. Sure enough, around forty five minutes ago a petite Hispanic woman walked by the front doors and taped the envelope up, constantly glancing around to make sure the coast was clear. And then, right before she walked away, she looked directly into the security camera that was right above the double doors. She had an unmistakable look of sorrow on her face. After a few seconds, she turned and hurried away.

"Same woman as before, but is it just me or did she look like that was the last thing she wanted to be doing?" Daisy asked.

"We need to find out who she is, but we have absolutely nothing to go on besides a picture unless Charlie finds some prints. She could be illegal for all we know…but one thing I am pretty certain of, by the look on her face she is not doing this by her own free will," Jimmy said.

Marco and Luke both looked confused. "Okay, when did you guys learn about this woman?" Marco asked. He wanted to ask about the letter as well but the reaction it had caused Annie to have kept him from doing so.

"We seen her on some security footage we checked this morning after we left the crime scene…she followed Annie and I into the doctors office a couple of nights ago," Jimmy said.

"What about the new victim this morning? Was there anything new at the scene?" Luke asked.

Jimmy pulled up the latest victims DMV picture on the big screen. "You could say that," he said, watching both Luke and Marco as they looked at the picture.

"He's breaking his pattern. Are we sure this is one of Diablo's?" Marco asked shaking his head.

"Yea, he left a note to make sure we knew it was him," Daisy said.

Jimmy took a deep breath and went around the table to take a seat beside Annie. He knew how bad she was hurting, so he decided the quicker they got through this, the better it would be. "Look guys, there is something we need to let you in on. We were trying to keep it quiet, at least until Diablo was caught because the last thing we needed was for him to find out. Unfortunately, it looks like he somehow already knows. However, it's still something we want kept quiet until this case is wrapped up, or at least for a few weeks so we can get our heads wrapped around it better…" Jimmy took a few seconds to let it sink in.

"What's wrong Jimmy?" Marco asked.

"Can you guys give me your word that this will stay within our team until we say otherwise?" Jimmy asked, looking more at Luke. He knew Marco would be on board, but he worried about Luke.

Marco instantly nodded, looking to Luke for his reaction to Jimmy's question.

Annie finally spoke up, keeping her voice slow and steady in order to be able to speak through the pain, "Luke, you said you wanted to be a member of this team….to really be a member. In order to do that…we have to be able to trust you…with everything. When something goes down, we all stick together. That's what a team is. Now, we need you to know this information to be able to work this case. All we are asking from you is for you to keep quiet and let us break the news to the chief when we feel the time is right. Can you do that?" She closed her eyes and inhaled as a sharper pain hit.

Jimmy watched her for a second before looking back to Luke, "You in or out?" he asked with a little bit of urgency. He was ready to get Annie to the bunks and in the bed where she should have been an hour ago.

Luke finally nodded, "I'm in…I may not like it, but I'm in."

Jimmy nodded, "Okay…" He pulled up the victims information on the big screen. "Everything about this victim is different from Annie. Her hair, her eyes, her job…everything that Diablo has looked for in a victim since he jumped back on our radar. Even the manner in which he killed this woman is different."

"He's trying to tell us something," Luke suggested.

Jimmy nodded, glancing at Annie before he looked back to the big screen and pulled up the last bit of information. "The only constant between Annie and this victim is that Emma Finley was pregnant."

Jimmy paused, waiting for the information to sink in. "Wait a minute…you're telling us that Annie is…pregnant?" Marco asked shocked, looking back and forth between Annie and Jimmy.

Annie nodded, unable to find any words. Luke shook his head, "How long have you known?"

"Found out night before last," she said quietly.

"And Diablo already knows?" Marco filled in.

"The same woman that taped that envelope on the door followed us into the hospital. She followed us all the way into the women's clinic where my friend who is also an OB works. Diablo, or this mystery woman, apparently seen Emma Finley at the same clinic with the same doctor the next day. And to top it all off, he probably seen the doctor enter this building last night when I called her to come check on Annie, which would have confirmed his suspicion," Jimmy told them.

"Okay, let me get this straight. He found out that Annie was pregnant because she went to see this doctor friend of yours and then your doctor friend came here last night? How does Diablo know for certain that his assumption is correct? I mean…is it not true that an OB doctor is also a…woman doctor for other things?" Luke asked a little uncomfortably.

Jimmy nodded, "Yes but anyone with a computer can Google Maya and find out that she specializes in obstetrics. Her main job as a doctor is seeing women through their pregnancies, from conception to birth. She is the doctor that other doctor's refer patients to, especially patients that are having problems during pregnancy."

Luke nodded, "Okay…and Annie is having problems? I mean, she is obviously hurting and I'm not an expert but I am pretty sure that is not a good thing."

Jimmy nodded, "She has another underlying condition. As of right now it's not affecting the baby that we know of, but it is causing Annie a lot of pain. It's still too early in the pregnancy to hear the baby's heart beat, so before we tell the chief and everyone else finds out, we want to wait for the doctor to say there is a strong healthy heartbeat."

Marco looked stunned, "Isn't there anything they can do so she doesn't hurt so bad?"

Jimmy shook his head, "Not without doing harm to the baby."

"And Annie hurting…that's not harming the baby?" Luke asked concerned.

"Right now Maya seems not to think so, but if the pain gets bad enough it could cause a miscarriage. That's why we don't really want this out right now. If something does happen, which we hope it doesn't, but if it does, Annie doesn't want to have to explain it to everyone. It would just be easier if no one knows to begin with, at least until the doc says everything looks good," Jimmy explained.

"So what is the doctor saying right now?" Marco asked.

"Everything looks normal, but she also said that until we hear a strong steady heartbeat that we shouldn't get our hopes up, just to hang in there and hope everything works out," Jimmy said.

Annie leaned back in her chair and sighed loudly. The pain had died down some but the nausea was getting stronger. "Jimmy…I'm gonna be sick…" she whispered. She closed her eyes, trying to suppress it so that she could make it to the bathroom. After a few seconds she knew that wasn't possible. Daisy quickly grabbed the small trash can from the corner and handed it to Jimmy. He held it in front of Annie as she got sick, the only thing coming up was the little bit of water she had drank a few minutes ago.

When she was finished she held her head in her hands. She hated being like this in front of her team. The team that was suppose to trust her to do the right thing. She was suppose to lead by example, and what a great one she had set. Not only was she unable to do her job at the moment, but she had went and started a relationship with her partner and was now pregnant with his child. How were they all suppose to trust her after this. She finally looked up to see that all eyes were on her, "I'm sorry guys…I…we…never meant for this to happen." There were tears in her eyes as she looked at Jimmy and then to the rest of the team.

Marco walked around the table and leaned over to hug her, "Don't worry chica, you're not letting anyone down here. I just can't believe it took you two this long. Everything is going to work out. And we are going to be here every step of the way."

Annie felt the tears fall as Marco continued to hug her. She didn't realize how much she had been holding back. Marco hugged her even tighter when he felt her body shake with the pent up emotion. "Thank you," she whispered to him, not trying to hold back the tears of relief.

Luke, on the other hand, stayed quiet across the room. He had been on the H.E.A.T. team for several months now and had never even once seen Annie show this kind of emotion. He wanted to be mad at her, mad that she had let her and Jimmy's relationship progress to this. It would definitely affect the whole team when the chief found out. Sure, he and Daisy had let things get out of hand once. But that was different. Him and Daisy didn't lead the team, and they weren't partners like Annie and Jimmy. They all should be upset with the two of them. But as he watched her break down in Marco's arms his heart broke. It was in that moment that he seen how much she really cared for this team. He knew that she understood the consequences this could have on the team, and he knew that's what was tearing her apart. He finally walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Annie, it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay…and so are we. You're right, this is a team. And when one of us messes up, the others should always be here to support them. We're here…and we aren't going anywhere." He waited on her to look up to him, a few tears still rolling down her cheek. "Stop crying, you shouldn't cry about this. Everything's going to work out," he said softly.

"Thanks Luke," she said nodding.

"Okay, I think it's time you went to lay down for a bit," Jimmy said to Annie.

Annie nodded, "I need to get something to eat first, not that I'm all that hungry but it would probably be a good idea to try and get something down while the nausea isn't too bad."

Jimmy smiled, "Good girl," he said taking her hand. "I will be back in a few minutes. Daisy, make sure they are completely up to speed on the new victim."

Annie and Jimmy went to the lounge. Jimmy made her sit while he fixed a turkey sandwich. He put a few carrot sticks on the plate with it and brought her a glass of milk to drink.

She looked at the glass and made a face, "I'm not drinking that," she said.

Jimmy looked at her, "Annie, it's good for you, for the baby…" he said.

"I understand that, but I'm not even sure I can keep a turkey sandwich and a few carrot sticks down, much less milk which you know I hate," she said.

He nodded getting back up and pouring the milk out. He brought back a bottle of water. After she had ate most of the sandwich and a couple carrot sticks, Jimmy followed her to the bunks. She got into one of the beds as Jimmy sat down beside her. "You going to be okay for a little while?"

She nodded, "I think so…"

"You still hurting? And don't lie to me," he said.

"Yea, but it's not as bad as it was," she admitted.

He sat quietly for a minute, but she could tell there was something still on his mind. Finally, he looked back to her, "Annie, about your father…" he trailed off.

"I know…" she nodded again.

"I don't know any way around it," he said shaking his head.

"I know…" she repeated.

"I will research it…maybe there's no need to get into it with the whole team," he said trying to give her a break from the stress. He knew she didn't want the rest of the team to know about her past and he didn't blame her. She was a US Marshal with a fugitive for a father. The last thing she needed right now was to be compared to him. "You just rest for a while, and maybe by the time you feel better I will know something."

She gave him a small smile, "Thanks."

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "If you need anything, or start hurting worse, just call me. I'll be at my desk."

She rolled to her side and closed her eyes as Jimmy walked out of the room. She was sleeping within minutes.

Back at his desk Jimmy pulled up William Frost's old files. He went through all of the records trying to find some connection with the Vasquez family. William Frost had been a busy man before his wife had died. He had fell off the radar for a little while right after her death, presumably to take care of his daughter. But then, about a year later, he was up to his old tricks again. He had many warrants still attached to his name which included charges such as racketeering, extortion, armed robbery, and drug trafficking charges, but he had fell off the map a long time ago.

Jimmy pulled up the records for Frost from 1994, which was two years before Juan Vasquez was incarcerated. He looked for any sign of the Vasquez family in the records. He never found one, but he did find where Frost had an unknown accomplice. It was believed to be a woman by the name of Mary Hendrix. Jimmy quickly checked the date in the file. June of 96'. He pulled up the photo of the woman that had been taken when the police questioned her and then set her free because of lack of evidence. His heart skipped a beat as he went to Annie's desk and took Juan Vasquez's files from her drawer. He flipped through until he came to the pictures of the horrible crime that had landed Vasquez in prison. Juan Vasquez's pregnant mistress that he had murdered, and the woman that had been suspected of being William Frost's partner, were one in the same.

Jimmy sat back down at his desk. He looked through the Vasquez file carefully. Mary Hendrix was murdered in October of 96', just four months after she was suspected of being Frost's partner. It was too big of a coincidence. There was now no doubt in Jimmy's mind that William Frost and Juan Vasquez knew each other. Jimmy sat dead still for another minute, his stomach flipping as a very unsettling thought entered his mind. Juan Vasquez's son was named Willy. Jimmy wondered if that could be a coincidence, or if Vasquez's son could indeed be named after William Frost.

Daisy noticed Jimmy's change in demeanor from across the room. She got up from her desk and made her way over to him, "You find something?" she asked as she watched him startle out of his trance.

"Maybe…and if I'm right it's not going to be good." He shook his head, still trying to tell himself that it wasn't possible. Annie would have been fifteen years old when all of this happened, the same age she was when her father disappeared for good. By that point in her life she was pretty much on her own anyways. She took care of herself, only seeing her father when he popped in between his drug running and running from the law. She wouldn't have known anything about what her father was involved in. She had made it a point by that time that she would no longer be his alibi and she did not want involved in any kind of illegal activity. Come to think of it, the last time she had seen her father was in late September, 1996.

Jimmy lowered his head in his hands, "This can't be possible," he said to himself.

"What is it Jimmy? What did you find?" Daisy asked.

He looked back up at her, "This case just got a lot more complicated," he told her. "I need to talk to Angela Vasquez Daisy. How soon can you make that happen?"

"Give me two hours…" she said still looking at him. She narrowed her eyes, "You're not going to tell me what you found are you?"

He shook his head, "Not yet. I can't. I need to talk to Annie first. But you should be ready to do damage control, because this is going to rattle her to the core if I'm right about it."

Daisy turned and made her way back to her desk, immediately picking up her phone. A few minutes later she hung up and looked back at Jimmy, "She'll be here in an hour."

Jimmy nodded, "Thanks Daisy."

Jimmy continued going through the Vasquez and Frost files. He went all the way back to their high school years. Jimmy still couldn't find anything other than Mary Hendrix that connected the two men. Maybe his son's name was a coincidence. That would be a relief.

As promised, HPD delivered Angela Vasquez to their office within an hour. Jimmy looked to Daisy, "Take her to the interview room." Jimmy gathered the files from the two men, including a picture of William Frost and Mary Hendrix. When Daisy returned he looked at her seriously and said, "Daisy, don't let anyone listen in on our conversation. And do not under any circumstance let Annie anywhere near that interview room, do you understand? If she wakes up before I am finished with Angela, come and knock on the door to let me know. This is very important. I need you to trust me on this, and I need to be able to trust you. I promise to explain everything as soon as I figure a few things out for myself."

Daisy nodded, "I hope you know what you're doing."

He nodded back as he turned toward the interview room, "Me too."

When he walked in the room he met Angela's eyes with his own. He didn't say a word until he had sat down and arranged the files in front of him. Finally he looked back up at her. "Mrs. Vasquez, I need your help. There are some people from your husbands past that I need to know about."

She nodded, looking back at him. "Okay, I will do my best."

Jimmy pulled out a picture of William Frost along with a picture of Mary Hendrix. He laid them down side by side in front of Angela, "Do you know these people?"

**My apologies for yet another cliffhanger. I promise I am trying to update more quickly now so you shouldn't be hanging for long…Please review though, that seems to make writing easier. It helps so much to know that there are plenty of people still reading! I look forward to hearing from you all!**


	15. Chapter 15

**I apologize so much for how long it has taken me to get this chapter up! I have had a hard time getting back to it especially after NBC pulled Chase from their schedule. I am still in shock and I hope that the people at NBC come to their senses and give this show another chance! Until then we all just have to rely on fan fiction so please, if you are in the middle of a story, stay with it! Keep writing! I know it's difficult but this is all the fans have for now! **

**Please keep reviewing all of the stories you guys like. Let the authors know you want more and that usually helps inspire them to write more…it does me anyways! You guys just kept reviewing and it helped me to finish this chapter and got me started on the next one. I hope you all are still enjoying this story! Let me know what you think!**

Chapter 15

Angela eyed the two photos Jimmy had laid in front of her. "Angela…do you know theses people?" he asked again.

Finally she nodded, "This is William…he was Juan's best friend. And this is Mary…she was William's girlfriend, until she was…you know."

Jimmy's stomach dropped, his suspicion that Juan Vasquez and William Frost had known each was now confirmed. He shook his head, still a little confused, "You said she was William's girlfriend," he pointed to the picture of Mary, "You are aware that your husband was convicted of murdering this woman?"

Angela nodded her head, "Yes, I'm aware of the accusations."

"Angela, there was irrefutable evidence at the crime scene. The police found Juan's knife, his prints were all over it," Jimmy told her.

Angela shook her head, "I know that…but William could have taken that knife without Juan knowing. Juan and William were together quite often. To tell you the truth, there were many times I questioned their activities. But Juan always told me to mind my own business. Look Deputy, I'm not saying that I don't believe Juan could have murdered that woman. I fully believe he was capable of it. But I'm not fully convinced that he did it either. I know he had his fair share of extramarital affairs, but he never murdered one of his mistresses for threatening to tell me about their relationship before. Do you know in the twenty years that we were together before he went to prison, there were three women that came to me and claimed to be having an affair with my husband. I knew they were telling the truth, but I loved our son. I didn't want to split our family up in fear of what it would do to Willy, and…in fear of what Juan would do to me if I tried to leave. I see now that if I had of left Juan when I first learned that he was a cheater…if I could have somehow gotten away from him, maybe I could have saved my son. But I didn't, I made the decision to stay. I told myself that it was better for a child to have a dead beat father than no father at all, but I see now how wrong I was."

"You say Juan was a dead beat father…how so?" Jimmy asked.

"He drove a truck for a living. He stayed on the road for weeks at a time. During the summer, when Willy was out of school and Juan was making a short run he would take Willy on the road with him. But other than that it was just Willy and I at home. Every night Willy would ask when daddy was coming home. When I said I wasn't sure Willy would get upset and usually end up crying himself to sleep. Juan had no idea what he was doing to his son. Don't get me wrong, Juan always sent plenty of money. Most of the time it was more than your average truck driver should make. Looking back I see how stupid I was. I should have put it all together a long time before I did. But money can make you blind. We lived very well, as far as money goes. By the time I figured out that Juan had a whole other life when he was on the road, it was too late. I tried to convince him that it wasn't worth it. That his son needed him at home. But he didn't care. He just couldn't give up his life of adventure." Angela swatted at the tears that fell down her cheek.

Jimmy knew that Juan was a violent man, and that he had hit his wife. He also knew that Angela never pressed charges. She always protected her husband, even lied for him. Jimmy shook his head…some things never changed. Even after all these years, after her son and husband had tied her up, beat her, stole her credit cards…after all that, she still protected them to an extent. "You say he had a whole other life on the road…what did it consist of?" Jimmy asked.

Angela shook her head, "I never knew for sure. Juan was never arrested for anything until the murder of that woman. But I suspected that he was involved in plenty of unlawful activities every time he would send money back home. He never would tell me what kind of haul he was going on. The company he worked for mainly hauled electronics from the towns on the Texas Mexico border. I always wondered if electronics was all Juan was hauling."

Jimmy nodded, "Did Juan work with William?"

Angela shook her head, "Not officially. But there were plenty of times that I know William and Juan would meet up on the road. Juan said it was just because they were crossing paths because of their jobs, but I knew better. I knew William was no good. What I couldn't see though is that Juan was just like him."

Jimmy took a breath, "So, where did Juan and William meet?"

Angela shrugged, "They knew each other before I met Juan. I always assumed they were childhood friends, but I never asked. I do know that Juan is who introduced William to his wife that died. She and Juan were actually close friends. I never actually met her, but the way Juan would look at William when he would talk about her…I'm not sure that Juan wasn't a little jealous. As far as I know, her and Juan never actually dated, but I always had a feeling that Juan had a thing for her once upon a time."

Jimmy couldn't believe his ears. This case was so much bigger than just Diablo. It went a lot farther back than that. "You said you never met William's wife. Why was that? I thought that Juan and William were best friends. You never had a family get together with them?"

Angela smiled, "They weren't that kind of friends. That's what led me to believe that William and Juan were always up to no good. William never talked about his family. All I know about them is that he had a little girl that he was so proud of. Every once in a while he would mention her and his eyes would sparkle when he did. I always wondered if Juan's eyes did that when he talked about Willy to others. Or if he even talked about him at all."

"Okay, so let's get back to Mary Hendrix. You said she was William's girlfriend? If that was true, why was it that Juan was convicted for her murder and William was never mentioned?" Jimmy asked.

Angela hung her head a little, "Mary was the one thing that Juan and William disagreed about. I overheard a Juan tell William that she was going to get them caught. William apparently wanted to let her in on whatever they were doing and Juan didn't. In the weeks that followed, William and Juan didn't talk as often, and when they did there was always a chill in the air. When I asked Juan what was going on, all he would say is that William was being stupid. He said that William thought he was in love with Mary, but Mary was no good. He said that she was playing William, that she was just after his money…and that he had to think of a way to prove that to William."

Jimmy nodded, things starting to come together with her story, "So, do you think Juan had an affair with Mary?"

Angela shrugged, "Honestly, I don't know. It wouldn't surprise me, but I don't have any proof of it either. My husband's conviction was based on the knife that had his prints on it and the confession of one of that woman's friends who claims to have seen Juan enter her apartment building the night of the murder."

"It says here that Mary's friend also said that Mary was pregnant with Juan's child and that Mary told Juan if he didn't break the news to you, she would. Mary's friend never mentioned William's name," Jimmy told her. "No one ever mentioned William's name throughout this entire case. You would think that if Juan was framed, or thought he might could pin the murder off on someone else, he would at least mention the guy's name."

Angela shrugged again, "Like I said before, I can't say for sure what happened back then. All I know for sure is that my husband wasn't home the night that woman was murdered. And the next day, the police came to arrest him. He never said a word to them, only said that he wanted his lawyer. I know that Juan and William were fighting right before Juan was arrested, but they had been friends since God knows when. They had been through thick and thin together…there was no way Juan would rat on him, not in a million years. He named our son after the man for Christ sake…I don't know what made their bond so strong…but something did. And Juan either killed that woman to protect William, or took the wrap for it anyways. I don't know, but after the years of physical and verbal abuse that he put me through, I was almost glad to see him locked up. I was at my wits end, the money wasn't enough for me anymore. I was tired of that life and I was worried about Willy. Now I see it was too little too late." Angela was crying now. She had never admitted all of this to anyone before. In her heart she really thought that Juan was guilty of the crime he was convicted of, but when she thought about it, there was a possibility that he wasn't. There was a possibility that for some reason, he took the fall for his friend. For some reason, he gave up his life for a man that had disappeared fifteen years ago.

Jimmy pinched the bridge of his nose. This was just too much. How was he suppose to tell Annie any of this without it completely tearing her apart. He looked back to Angela, "Thank you, for being honest with me. If you think of anything else about William or Mary, please call me. You will remain in protective custody until this case is closed." He got up and walked out of the room.

Jimmy leaned up against the wall right outside the interview room. He didn't even know how to begin telling Annie about what he had just learned. She had gave up trying to find her father a long time ago and this was going to drag up a lot of old painful memories. Just then Daisy walked up, "Well?"

Jimmy shook his head, "I don't even know where to begin," he said sadly. "Is Annie up yet?"

Daisy nodded, "She's in the lounge grabbing a snack. She seems to feel quite a bit better…acts like it anyways."

"Where'd you tell her I was?" he asked. He was glad to hear she felt better, but he also knew that feeling would be short lived.

"I didn't, she just now got up…I was just going to come and get you when I seen you come out of the room," Daisy told him. "Jimmy, what's going on?"

He shook his head again, "I'm not so sure that Diablo's father doesn't have more to do with all of this than we originally thought. I need to talk to Annie before I get into it anymore…but everyone will need to be updated soon. What about Micah, where is she?"

"She's in there with Annie right now…Annie was going to start working with her after she ate something," Daisy said.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, "I'm not sure if our so called plan is going to work anymore. Diablo knows that Annie would never put herself in danger like that now. He knows she's not going to take that chance now that he knows about the baby. Damn Daisy, I don't know what to do…" he trailed off rubbing his hands over his face.

Annie was finishing off a banana and discussing what all needed to be worked on with Micah when Jimmy and Daisy walked into the lounge. She immediately noticed the look on Jimmy's face and knew that something was wrong. "What is it Jimmy?" she asked setting the banana peel on the paper towel that was laying on the table.

"We need to talk," he said.

She gave a subtle nod, knowing that the news couldn't be good. "Okay," she said quietly as she got up and followed him towards the bunks.

"What's with them?" Micah asked as she watched the two walk away.

Daisy shrugged, "I'm not sure yet."

Jimmy led Annie in the room filled with beds and motioned for her to sit down. He took a seat on the bed across from her and leaned over with his elbows on his knees so that he and Annie were merely inches apart. He looked at her, unable to hide the sorrow from his eyes, "I found something when I was researching," he started.

She rolled her eyes, "Just say it Jimmy, don't drag it out."

He nodded, "I pulled up your father's old files. In June of 96' it was thought that he may have had a partner but there was never enough evidence to prove it. This so called partner was a female by the name of Mary Hendrix."

Annie's eyes narrowed, "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Because it's the same woman that Juan Vasquez was convicted of murdering in October of 96'," Jimmy said, watching Annie carefully.

She thought for a long moment, "That's around the same time that my father disappeared for good…Jimmy, what the hell does this mean?"

"Annie, what I am going to tell you is not gonna to be easy to hear. Promise me that you will try to stay calm, I wish there was some other way…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

Annie nodded, "Just tell me Jimmy. I can handle it."

"As soon as I learned of the connection between your father and Vasquez, I had Angela Vasquez brought over. She further confirmed everything I already knew and then some. She claims that Juan and William were best friends since way before she and Juan ever met. She says that Juan introduced William to your mother…that he may have even had a thing for her himself, but never acted on it. She also says that Juan and William worked together for several years, and even though she didn't know exactly what they were doing, she suspected it wasn't legal because of the excessive amount of money that Juan made. He worked as a truck driver for a company that supposedly hauled electronics from the border towns back to Houston so they could be shipped all over the nation…" Jimmy paused when Annie started shaking her head.

"They were running drugs," she stated.

"Probably," Jimmy nodded. When Annie didn't say anything else Jimmy continued, "When I asked Angela about Mary Hendrix, she said that she was William's girlfriend. She also said that Mary was the one thing that Juan and William disagreed over. She overheard Juan tell him that Mary was going to get them caught. Juan also said that Mary was just after William's money, and that he had to find a way to show William the truth about her. A few weeks later, Mary was dead, Juan was arrested, and your father was never heard from again."

Annie just had a look of shock on her face. She was overwhelmed with the information that Jimmy had just given her. Finally she shook her head, getting up and pacing around the room. "Jimmy…do you know what this means?"

"This case just got a whole lot more complicated," he nodded.

She stopped walking and turned to face him, "Mary was pregnant when she was killed…Jimmy…what if…"

He jumped up and put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her to him, "Boots, don't go there. None of that matters now."

"It matters to me…" she said shaking her head. She pushed away from him, "Hell, who knows if Juan really even killed her…"

"Come on Annie, they found his knife with his prints all over it, and they had a witness that seen him enter Mary's apartment building the night of the murder. It was an open and shut case," he told her.

"You said that Vasquez introduced my father to my mother?" she asked. Jimmy nodded. "If Angela was right, if Juan really had a thing for her…why would he introduce her to another man?"

Jimmy didn't like where this was headed, but it was in the back of his mind as well, "Angela said your mother and Juan were close friends, but never dated. Maybe Juan is the one who wanted more, but your mother refused."

Annie nodded, "And then, she went for my father. That must have pissed Juan off."

"Angela claims that she never met your mother. Apparently at some point Juan and your mother had some kind of falling out. Maybe Juan couldn't get over the fact that she chose William over him," Jimmy suggested.

Annie nodded again, "Maybe Juan held a grudge for all those years. Maybe killing Mary Hendrix was his way of revenge."

Jimmy shook his head, "That doesn't make sense. If that was the case Juan would have tried to pin the murder on your father. When he was arrested, he never even mentioned your fathers name. He was protecting him. Plus…think about it Annie. Juan's son's name is Willy…"

Annie looked at him with wide eyes, "He named his son after my father…"

Jimmy nodded, "You don't do that if you're holding a grudge against someone."

Annie started pacing again, "Okay…we have been looking at this from the wrong angle. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with my mother. Maybe it has everything to do with what Juan and my father done before Juan went to prison. They worked together, unofficially. They had the perfect scheme. My father had the connections, and Juan had the perfect transportation. They obviously never transported a large amount of drugs since they stayed under the radar. Did Juan own his own truck?" she asked quickly.

"I think so…but I don't know where it's at now," Jimmy admitted, kicking himself for not thinking of that earlier.

"We need to find out…chances are, even if he did, Angela probably sold it. And Jimmy, I bet Juan had some money stashed away somewhere. That's how they are getting by now. That's why they didn't have to steel another ride when Diablo abandoned his truck in the woods," Annie said.

Jimmy nodded, "So…are you okay with this?"

"Hell no I'm not ok with it…my father very possibly murdered that woman Jimmy. And even if he didn't, chances are that was his baby that she was carrying…I could have had a sibling," tears filled her eyes but she shook them away before they could fall. "None of that matters now. What we do know now is that Juan Vasquez is in this just as much if not more so than his son. Diablo may be the man with the plan but Juan is the brains behind the operation. What I don't get is if my father and Juan were such great friends, and Juan sat in prison for fifteen years without so much as mentioning his name…what has changed now? Why come after me?"

"I don't know Annie…but we are going to find out," Jimmy said pulling her close again.

She shook out of his embrace, "Don't…I'm dealing Jimmy. Thanks for being here, and for coming to me before anyone else, but I need to try not to get too emotional here. I can do that if you let me deal with it on my own, but when you start looking at me with pity in your eyes, and trying to make me feel better by…holding me…I just…I need you to let me deal with this. Okay?"

He nodded understandingly, "Okay…so now what?"

"Now we tell the team…" she said as she headed for the door.

Jimmy followed her, a little worried at her reaction to the news. He knew she was going to bottle this up. He expected that. She had went straight into work mode, not letting herself take the time to think about what this meant to her personally. She didn't let herself shed any tears over her long lost father. She wanted more than anything not to care about her father, and even though she put on a good front Jimmy knew better. Her father may have been a bad person, but he had kept Annie confused and in the dark about that until she was well into her teen years. The only thing she knew before that is that her father loved her. He made sure she knew that, then and now.

Jimmy called the team together in the conference room. The next hour was spent updating them about Annie's father. Annie let Jimmy do most of the talking. She was doing a good job holding herself together so far. When Jimmy was finally finished there was an overwhelming silence that filled the room. Finally Marco spoke, "Annie, I had no idea…"

She shook her head, "No one did, except Jimmy. He's a part of my past that I don't like to talk about. I haven't seen him since 1996. Every once in a while I still get a letter from him, explaining how sorry he is that things turned out the way they did. But there is never a return address, and by the time I find out where the letter came from he is long gone. That's the only reason I am pretty sure he is even still alive."

"When's the last time you received a letter?" Daisy asked.

"About seven or eight months ago, it was the same old same old. I didn't even try to track it," Annie said staring down at the table.

Jimmy finally spoke up again, "Look guys, I don't think that William Frost has anything to do with this case anymore. However, they may want us to think otherwise. We need to track down this witness that supposedly seen Juan Vasquez enter Mary Hendrix's apartment the night she was murdered. For some reason Juan never mentioned William's name to anyone when he was arrested. Could be that he planned on getting out someday and planned on taking care of business himself. They may be trying to lure William Frost out of the woodworks by coming after Annie. And then again, they could just be two psychopaths with a sick plan. Either way, these threats are real and right now this witness is the only real lead we have. Daisy, see if you can track her down. Marco and Luke, see if you can find the truck and trailer Juan use to drive when he worked for that company."

They all nodded as they left the room. Annie was still flipping through the files Jimmy had studied while she was sleeping. "There has got to be something else here Jimmy."

He put his hands on hers, "There's not. I've been over it and over it. Now, we need to decide what we want to do about Micah. Do you think there is any sense in going through with our plan?"

Annie shrugged, "I don't know. Diablo will probably see it coming from a mile away, but then again, what if he does go for it?" Just then Annie tensed up, closing her eyes and letting her hand fall to her stomach.

"Boots, you okay?" Jimmy watched as she silently nodded her head.

"Dammit," Annie said through the pain. She set back in her chair and tried to breath her way through. The pain wasn't as bad as it had been, but it was still bad enough that she couldn't hide it from Jimmy. After a few minutes it eased. She looked back to Jimmy who had stayed silent. "I'm fine now…it's gone."

"Are you sure? Don't try and hide it Annie, you know what Maya said," he told her.

"I know, and I'm not. It's okay now," she promised.

Just then Jimmy's phone rang. He picked it up "This is Jimmy," he said not bothering to check the ID. It was Charlie from upstairs. He got a hit on the prints. After a short conversation Jimmy disconnected and looked to Annie. "Charlie got a hit in missing persons. The Hispanic woman now has a name," he said as he opened the door and motioned for her to follow him out to their desks.

She sat down at her desk and inhaled sharply as another pain reared it's ugly head. Jimmy immediately noticed, but judging by her reaction he could tell that it was no worse than the last pain she had a few minutes ago. He typed the woman's name on his keyboard and waited on her information to come up on the screen. He kept an eye on Annie, noticing how she was trying to hide her discomfort from the rest of the team and Micah, who had came out of the break room and was now talking with Luke.

"So, what's the name," Annie asked as she leaned forward and let one hand fall to her stomach. It didn't help, but it was a reaction every time she felt the pain pulsate through her lower abdomen.

"Esperanza Gomez and her daughter Selena have been missing from Pasadena for at least one week and two days. Gomez's husband Jose was found murdered in his basement and his wife and daughter have disappeared. It was ruled a homicide with the wife being the number one suspect. Jose was stabbed several times, one wound nicked his heart and he bled out within minutes. The knife was still in his chest when the police found him a few days after his death. It was wiped clean of prints and the families bank accounts were cleaned out and the car was gone," Jimmy stopped reading as he looked to Annie who he could tell was still in pain.

She shook her head, "Pasadena is less than twenty minutes from here…they got someone that already knew this area. They are holding her daughter hostage while they use the mother to run their errands, that's why Gomez is doing whatever they say. How old is the daughter?"

Jimmy looked back to the report, "Four," he said, horrified when he realized how young the child was.

"Son of a bitch…she's just a baby. This poor woman doesn't have a choice here, she has to do what they say," Annie said shaking her head as she felt her stomach doing flips. She couldn't imagine what Esperanza Gomez was going through every time she was sent out to run an errand, knowing that if she didn't return she would more than likely never see her daughter again.

"We need to talk to the cops who found her husband," Jimmy suggested.

"NO," Annie quickly said, "I don't want Diablo or Juan Vasquez knowing that we know about the identity of this woman. Not yet. If they figure that out they will more than likely stop using her, which means they would probably get rid of her…"

Jimmy nodded in understanding, "But, if we can find this woman she can lead us to where they are staying."

Annie still wasn't sure about how they should go about it, "Jimmy, they probably have something on her, a microphone or some kind of tracking device to make sure she doesn't talk to any cops. They would have to, don't you think?"

"You're probably right, how do you suggest we go about this then?" Jimmy asked.

"Well, the last thing I want is to be responsible for the death of a four year old, so we need to find out how they are keeping up with her before we approach her…and I'm not entirely sure how to do that," Annie admitted.

"I have an idea. The only place that Gomez is going to follow you into without Diablo being able to watch is the doctor's office. If we can get her to follow you in there, maybe we can find out the best way to communicate with her. Maybe we can plant a tracker on her and let her lead us to them," Jimmy suggested.

"You really think that will work? It just seems too simple," Annie said.

Jimmy shrugged, "You never know. I will call Maya and set it up. I'm thinking tonight when we get home you can fake an attack right after we get out of the car…we get right back in and head to the hospital. I'm sure Maya will be up for it. If Diablo's not watching, it won't matter. But if he is I bet he sends Gomez in to see if she can find out what's going on."

Annie shrugged, "It could work…I guess it's our best shot for right now. Let's have Marco in the waiting room before we get there. That way we will be prepared if she doesn't speak much English."

Jimmy nodded, "Good idea."

Annie tensed again, the pain still very much present and getting worse by the minute. She lowered her head to her desk so that she could close her eyes and concentrate on getting through the pain without drawing a lot of attention to herself. Jimmy rolled his chair around so that he was beside her. He put his arms around her and pulled her to him. "Just breath, Boots."

She leaned into him, letting him hold her and for once not caring who seen them. She was hurting bad enough that she wasn't really thinking about people watching them. She buried her head into his chest as the pain intensified more. But to the rest of the team and Micah, who thankfully were the only people in the bullpen at the moment, it just looked like they were having a moment, like he was trying to comfort her. Daisy knew better, she could see how tense Annie was and quickly made her way toward the two. She discreetly slid the small trash can that was beside Annie's desk to where Annie could get to it easily if she needed to. Usually when the pain got bad enough it would make Annie sick to her stomach, and this time was no exception. After about a minute of pain so intense she could barely breath, Jimmy felt her break into a cold sweat and he knew what came next. He nodded to Daisy as she knelt down and softly said, "Annie, the trash can is right here if you need it."

A few seconds later Annie bent over and grabbed the small can, heaving into it. This quickly caught the attention of Luke, Marco, and Micah who were still across the room. "She okay?" Marco asked quickly.

"Yea, she will be," Jimmy said without taking his eyes off of Annie.

When she was finished, Annie rolled her chair back away from Jimmy a little bit. Still feeling weak, she put her elbows on her knees and let her head rest in her hands. Luke walked over to her quickly, "Annie, is everything okay? You sure you don't need to call the doctor?"

Annie nodded but still didn't look up. Jimmy looked to Luke, "She's okay Luke."

Luke shook his head, "Yea, well…she doesn't really look okay."

Daisy took his arm and lead him back you his desk, "Luke, she's fine. Leave it alone okay."

Luke finally shook his head. He sat back down at his desk and started working again like nothing had ever happened. Daisy squeezed his shoulder silently thanking him for dropping it and then turned and walked back to Annie who was still holding her face in her hands. Jimmy was bent over trying to talk to her.

"Boots, what do you need? You want some water?" he asked. She shook her head, still looking a little tense. "Annie, are you still hurting?"

She nodded, "A little," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. Usually after she had hurt as bad as she had a few minutes ago the pain had went away by now, or at least it usually went away a lot more than it had this time. Annie remained doubled over with her head in her hands trying to hide it from the rest of the team.

Jimmy looked across at Daisy and then back to Annie. "How bad Boots?" he asked, not liking the fact of how consistently strong this pain had been.

Annie shook her head unable to answer. Finally she inhaled a breath and whispered, "Bad enough." What the hell did that mean, Jimmy thought. Then suddenly she sat back in her chair, "Son of a bitch…" she leaned over against her desk and slammed her hand down on the top of it, desperate for some relief. This unfortunately caught the attention of the rest of the bullpen. "Dammit…I can't do this Jimmy," she said through clenched teeth.

He took her hand and squeezed as she did the same, "Yes you can…" Jimmy looked to Daisy questioningly. He wasn't sure what he could do to make it better.

Daisy walked up on the other side and knelt down beside her. "Just breath Annie, it'll ease up soon."

Annie shook her head, "It eases up…and then it gets worse again. This isn't right Jimmy. Something's not right." She squeezed his hand hard as another wave hit her.

Jimmy took out his phone, "I'm gonna call Maya and see what she says." Annie just nodded.

Luke and Marco had walked over, wondering what was going on. They knew that Annie had some kind of underlying condition that caused her pain, but until now they hadn't realized how bad it really was. Micah stood behind the two, "What the hell's going on?" she whispered so only Luke and Marco heard.

"I'm not sure, I'm just glad we're the only ones here," Marco said glancing around to make sure no one was lurking around upstairs. It had gotten late, so they were probably the only ones still left in the building.

Jimmy waited for Maya to answer and when she did he explained everything to her, including the fact that Annie thought something wasn't right. Maya immediately said for him to bring her in. 'She has to trust herself, and if she feels like something's not right then we need to check her out right away' Maya had said. Jimmy hung up the phone and looked to Annie, "Can you make it to the truck?"

Annie took a breath and nodded slightly, "I can try."

Jimmy looked to Marco, "Get on that side," he pointed to Annie's other side and Marco hurried over there. Jimmy quickly explained what he had discovered about the Hispanic woman and told Marco he wanted him and Daisy to ride along in case the woman came into the doctor's office. "Luke, stay here with Micah and keep researching…I'll call you with an update as soon as we have one."

Luke nodded, wishing he could ride along as well but he knew that someone needed to stay here and keep working. He watched as Annie slowly got up and Jimmy and Marco held onto each arm and started leading her toward the exit. She had to stop several times and would nearly double over in pain each time. Luke shook his head as he watched them finally make it to the glass doors that exited the building. He turned and went back to his computer, looking to Micah who had a dozen questions written all over her face.

**AN: Well there is chapter 15...I hope it is still holding your interest. And I know it's a bit of a cliffhanger so I will let you know that Annie is not going to lose the baby (unless this story takes some kind of unexpected turn, but I don't plan on that happening!) Please let me know what you all think! All reviews are welcome and appreciated! I will get the next chapter up as soon as I can.**


	16. Chapter 16

**First of all, thank you all so much for the kind reviews! They make writing so much easier! Here is the next chapter…I wasn't going to post it this soon because I'm no where close to finished with the next chapter but I figured I would go ahead and let you guys have it…You just may have to wait a few days on the next chapter which I sincerely apologize for! Also, know that I am not a doctor but I have researched for this chapter and although it may be far fetched it is not out of the realm of possibility…that said, here you go!**

**Don't forget to review!**

Jimmy and Marco helped Annie into the escalade with Daisy get into the middle seats right behind her. Daisy leaned Annie's seat back as far as it would go and Annie laid back and closed her eyes tight, still fighting the pain. Marco and Jimmy jumped in the front and sped off towards the hospital.

* * *

Across the street in a coffee shop a middle age man sat with a petite Hispanic woman. They looked to be engrossed in conversation but in all actuality he was simply reminding her of the rules of his sick little game. He looked up when a movement from the building he was facing caught his eye. Two men ushered a blonde woman out the doors and towards the garage where the vehicles were kept. He wondered why they would bring her out in the wide open like that when they knew that a mad man was after her. Then a thought crossed his mind. Maybe they wanted him to see, or, maybe it was a real emergency. He knew that they would get to the vehicle faster coming out the front like that instead of going through the building to the garage. And according to how much the two men were having to help the woman, they needed to take the shortest route possible.

"Come on Espy, let's go," the man said to the petite woman who hated the nickname she had been given. She reluctantly stood and followed the man out to his car. She hated being a part of this, but she didn't have much of a choice. The life of her daughter hung in the balance every time she was sent out on her own. They didn't threaten her much, they didn't have to. They just told her that if she wasn't back or didn't check in within a half hour of them setting her loose, she would never hear from them or her daughter again. She knew how serious and how psychopathic the men were, they had made her watch as they stabbed her husband to death and told her that the police would blame her for the crime. They also told her that once they had gotten what they wanted, which was the blonde woman that they were tailing now, the men would set her and her daughter free. Esperanza doubted that to be true, but she vowed to give her daughter every opportunity that she could.

* * *

By the time they got to the hospital the pain had eased up a tiny bit, but it was still clearly visible that Annie was hurting. She opened her door as Jimmy made his way to her. "Annie, let me get a wheel chair for you, Maya said not to make you walk all the way to her office," he told her.

Annie shook her head, "Jimmy, I can walk, really." She got out slowly, holding one hand over her stomach and holding onto Jimmy with the other one. Daisy followed close behind her and Marco was on the other side. Annie almost made it to the door of the hospital before another wave of pain washed over her causing her to stop and almost double over. The nausea was back again as well, but Annie no longer had anything left in her stomach to discard. She wretched a few times anyways and then her knees were so weak she found herself completely relying on Jimmy and Marco.

"Daisy, find a wheelchair. She's not gonna make it all the way up," Jimmy said quickly. "Maya said there would be one in a room just to the left inside the door."

Daisy quickly returned with a chair and they helped Annie into it. Jimmy was ready to panic by the time they made it to the elevators that would take them to Maya's office. He was doing his best to hold it together but Annie had never hurt like this before. In the back of his mind he figured that this was it, but he was trying to not think about that for Annie's sake. He couldn't stand seeing her in this kind of pain and he prayed that it would soon end, one way or another. He hated that this could mean that she could lose the baby, but on the other hand if that meant that she wouldn't be in any more pain it might be for the best. Annie finally spoke, shaking Jimmy out of his trance. "Jimmy, remember to keep an eye out…for Gomez"

Jimmy shook his head, shocked that even through all of that pain, she was still thinking about the case, "Don't worry Annie. Marco and Daisy are on it."

Daisy nodded at Annie, "I brought my notepad so we can write her a note just in case they have a bug planted on her. If she shows, we will know it. You just concentrate on getting through this…leave the work up to us."

Annie nodded as they rolled her onto the elevator. She was gripping the arms of the wheelchair and trying to silently talk herself through the pain. Maya met them at the elevator in front of her clinic. Jimmy had text her when they entered the hospital so she would be ready for them. She frowned as soon as she seen how much Annie was hurting. "Come on Jimmy, I have a room ready," she said as she led them into the clinic and back to an exam room.

Marco and Daisy went into the waiting area. They were surrounded by several women. Some with protruding stomachs, some barely showing at all, and some with no sign of pregnancy. Marco and Daisy took a seat away from the door. They both picked up a magazine and acted to be interested in the articles. Even though their eyes were on the magazine they were holding, they were focused on the door. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Esperanza Gomez entered the room and scanned it quickly with her eyes. She picked up a magazine of her own and took a seat close enough to Marco and Daisy that she could easily eavesdrop on their conversation and any updates that they may be given on Annie's condition.

Daisy and Marco immediately noticed the woman. After a few seconds Daisy took out her notepad nonchalantly and began composing a note: _Please don't get up or try to walk away. We know your name and your situation and the last thing we want to do is put you or your daughter in more danger. Do you have a bug or microphone planted on you or can you talk to us without your captors knowing? Please help us help you._

Daisy showed Marco the note and he nodded, slowly getting up and walking over to the door of the waiting room and taking a seat so that he could block it if Esperanza tried to run. When he gave Daisy another nod, she slowly got up and took a seat beside Esperanza, silently handing her the note and putting her finger over her lips silencing the woman who looked ready to panic.

Esperanza finally looked down at the note. She read it quickly and then looked back to Daisy with big tears in her eyes. "They only have a tracking device on me. They want to be sure that I only go where I'm told, or they will hurt my little girl," she said breaking down completely.

Daisy took her hand, "Sshh, we are going to do our best to help you Mrs. Gomez. Do you know anything about what they are planning?"

The woman shook her head, "I only know that they want to know everything that is going on with Ms. Frost. They say the sooner they get their hands on her, the sooner my daughter and I will be set free. Do you really think they plan on letting us go?"

Daisy shrugged, "I can't say for sure. But what I can say for sure is that if we can get to them we will do everything we can to get you and your daughter out of there safely. Now, do you have any idea where they are keeping you?"

Esperanza shook her head. "When we start going back to the shack where they keep Selena and I, they make me put a bag over my head. All I know is that it is in the middle of the woods somewhere. There is no sounds of traffic and it smells musty."

"Are they both with you now?" Daisy asked with a glimmer of hope.

The woman shook her head, "No, only the younger one."

Daisy nodded, "Do they leave you at this shack alone or do they always stay with you?"

"They keep us locked in a room with no windows. There have been many times when I have thought that we had been left alone. I have even tried desperately to get out, but the door wouldn't budge," she said still crying. The whole waiting area was beginning to stare.

Daisy motioned for Marco to come to them. "Let's get these other women to the other side of the waiting room. I don't want to move Esperanza too much, they have a tracking device on her and I'm not sure how powerful it is." Marco nodded and began to move the rest of the women across the room so that they could talk with Esperanza in private.

* * *

Maya led Jimmy and Annie into an exam room with an ultrasound machine ready and waiting. Jimmy and Maya helped Annie onto the exam table and Maya quickly checked her temperature and blood pressure, which were both a little higher than what Maya would have liked. "The elevated BP is from the pain, but the temp has me a little more concerned. How long has she been hurting like this?" she asked Jimmy. Annie was laying on her side gripping the arm of the bed with her eyes clenched shut, still obviously fighting the pain.

Jimmy shook his head. "She was hurting earlier but it was nothing like this. She went and laid down for a while and when she woke up she seemed a lot better. She ate and was fine for a long time, and then it started again. It wasn't too bad at first, but it just kept getting worse and worse. She said it would come and go, not like usual. But the last little while it has been pretty constant. What are you thinking Maya?"

Maya could tell that Jimmy was barely holding it together. He held Annie's hand tight and Maya could see her pain through him. "Jimmy, let's just check her out. It could be a few different things, so let's not get ahead of ourselves." Maya turned the machine on and took some gel out of the drawer, "Annie, I know you are in a lot of pain, but I'm going to have to have you turn over on your back so I can have a look, okay?"

Annie took several deep breaths and finally rolled over, grunting in pain, "God…it just keeps…getting worse…" she said as she turned her head to Jimmy and focused on him while squeezing his hand desperately.

"I know baby…just look at me…you're gonna get through it," he pleaded with her. He hated this.

Maya pulled Annie's shirt up and pants down until she had a clear view of her entire stomach. She put the gel on the ultrasound wand and moved it across Annie's abdomen until she found what she was looking for. "There it is…her right ovary is twisted. The cyst has grown substantially. Jimmy, I know she is in a lot of pain but I think the best thing for the baby is to monitor this and give it a chance to untwist itself before resorting to surgery. It's unlikely, but possible that it may fix itself. I can give her some pain medication that may help some but it probably wont knock it out completely."

Annie closed her eyes again and squeezed Jimmy's hand harder. Jimmy looked to her and then back to Maya, "You just have to do something to make the pain stop Maya. I don't know how much more she can take."

Annie shook her head, "I can do this Jimmy…you have to keep telling me I can do this." She took another painful breath before turning her head back to Maya, "Whatever's best for the baby…"

Maya nodded. "I will put you on the meds to try and take the edge off. If this doesn't resolve itself within the hour we will have to do surgery to untwist it and go ahead and remove the cyst. If it does untwist itself we may still have to do surgery later to remove the cyst, but if we can wait until you get to the second trimester it will be much better for the baby. I'm going to bring in our best ultrasound tech to keep an eye on this for now okay?"

Annie nodded. Within a few minutes Maya had started an IV and was giving Annie the pain medication she had talked about. "This wont hurt the baby…right?" Annie asked through clinched teeth.

"No, it's not that strong. It probably wont help a lot but as much pain as your in every little bit counts," Maya said.

After another few minutes the pain eased just a bit, but it was still on the verge of being unbearable. "Ugh…this is ridiculous," Annie said as she clung to Jimmy's hand.

"Just hang in there Boots. It'll be over soon," he said, praying he was right. The ultrasound tech didn't say much, she just sat there keeping the wand on Annie's stomach and her eyes glued to the monitor.

* * *

Outside in the waiting room Marco and Daisy sat on each side of Esperanza Gomez as they tried to figure out a plan.

"So you said that you think they leave you alone sometimes? They also have a tracker on you. Do they remove this when they lock you in the room?" Daisy asked.

Esperanza shook her head. "They never remove it."

Marco looked at Daisy, "That means that we can't plant our own tracker or they will know. Chances are the two trackers would interfere with each other and they would immediately know that something was wrong."

Daisy nodded, "What about a bug? It wont give us their location but they could give something away. We could send it with her in something like a pen…something discreet enough that it's not suspicious"

Esperanza finally spoke up, "I have a pen. He sends it with me along with this little notepad so that I can write things down for him." She pulled out a pen with a notepad to show Daisy and Marco.

Daisy smiled, "That's perfect, now I just need to see if Bouff can get a bug over here quickly so that we can get it planted." Daisy pulled out her cell and called Brian Bouffton, the top technician for the HEAT team, to see if he could make this happen. In a few minutes Daisy was off the phone and looked back to Esperanza, "Okay, I have a guy bringing over what we need. What I want you to do is keep this in your right pocket and when you get back in the car see if you can drop it under the seat. That way it wont look suspicious if it is found."

Esperanza nodded, "But what if they find the bug?"

"They wont. Thankfully, this is a very common pen. Bouff is going to bring one just like it over and it will already have the bug planted in the clicker up here. That way, you put this pen," Daisy pointed to the pen Esperanza already had, "in your left pocket and you get to keep it so you don't have to ask for another one."

Esperanza nodded again, "How is this going to help you find us?"

Daisy looked at her seriously, "Esperanza, this is just about our only option. What I would love to do is put a tracker on the car, but you could definitely get caught. This will be safer and hopefully they will say something that will help us find you. Can you give us a description of the car your in?"

"It's a tan Chevy Impala. I don't know the license plate number. I'm sorry," she said.

"It's fine," Marco said. "We could have you followed but we don't want to get caught because that would put you in danger. We need some time to get prepared and then we can have several units set up and driving parallel to your route so that they can switch out and that way there is very little chance of Vasquez noticing a tale. What we need to do here today is give you some false information to report and you can even say that you overheard a following appointment date and time. That way, if he comes back and sends you in again, we can be ready to tale him back to where he is stashing you and your daughter."

"How long can you stay here? I mean, do you have to check in with him?" Daisy asked.

Esperanza pulled out a burned phone, "He will call me on this, usually every thirty minutes or so, if he can't see me."

Daisy and Marco looked at each other quickly, both thinking the same thing. "Damn, you should have told us about this earlier," Marco said taking the phone from her.

"Why…" she asked quickly.

Marco took the back off of the phone, careful not to take the battery out. He looked it over, not seeing any kind of bug but that didn't mean there wasn't one there. Daisy grabbed her pen and paper and scribbled a note to Esperanza explaining that there could be a bug planted in her phone. They were just going to have to wait on Vasquez to call and make sure he didn't suspect anything. Marco put the phone back together and handed it back to Esperanza.

Daisy checked her watch, "He should be calling anytime."

About three minutes later the phone vibrated and Esperanza looked desperately at Daisy, "What do I say?"

Daisy smiled trying to comfort her, "Tell him there is no news yet and that Marco and I are still waiting. That's the truth."

Esperanza took a breath and answered the phone. After a quiet and brief conversation she hung up. "He didn't seem to suspect anything. Just checking in. He said to stay as long as I could without looking suspicious."

Daisy nodded, "Good, that will give Bouff plenty of time to get here."

* * *

Annie let go of Jimmy's hand and grabbed at her abdomen, moaning and biting her bottom lip. "Is it getting worse?" Jimmy asked the technician.

The tech shook her head full of brown curls, "It just feels that way. There hasn't been much change. Everything with the baby looks normal though."

Annie arched her back and moaned again, the pain medicine no longer doing any good at all. "Is this normal…I mean, do you see this a lot?" Jimmy asked the tech referring to the amount of pain Annie was in.

The tech nodded, "Yes and no. A twisted ovary is fairly common, but usually we don't see it quite this early. She is the patient with the severe endometriosis, right?"

Jimmy nodded, "Yea, she has been in a lot of pain since before we even found out about the baby."

"That must be hard. At least it's not affecting the baby though. I have only seen one other woman have severe endo pain throughout the whole pregnancy, so maybe it will get better. As far as this goes," the tech motioned toward the monitor that she kept her eyes focused on, "this is probably the most painful thing that could possibly happen. Normally it doesn't happen until a little later in pregnancy, in which case Doctor G would have probably already taken her to the OR, but surgery this early presents a greater risk to the fetus so that's why she is wanting to give it some time to fix itself."

Just then Maya came back in the room, "Any change?" she asked looking at the tech.

"No better, no worse."

Maya looked to Annie and she could tell the pain was excruciating. "Okay Annie, I can set you up for emergency surgery and we can go in there and fix this, okay?"

Annie shook her head, "What happens if we wait longer?"

Maya stepped closer, "Well, it could untwist itself, or you could lose your right ovary."

Annie took a breath and squeezed the arm of the bed, "What happens to the baby…if we wait?"

Maya shook her head, "Nothing…as of right now the baby is fine. But Annie, if you lose your ovary there is a much bigger chance that you will definitely never conceive again."

Annie shook her head, "Maya, if I lose this baby…the chances of me conceiving again…are slim to none no matter…if I have my right ovary or not," Annie said between breaths.

Maya nodded, "You're right, but you are also in a lot of pain. How much longer can you handle that? There is not much else I can give you besides what I already have."

Annie nodded, "It's bad…really bad…but I can take it for as long as you let me."

Jimmy shook his head, "Annie, don't do this. Let Maya do the surgery. You won't hurt anymore after that."

Annie shook her head. "Jimmy…just tell me I can do this…" she told him. She needed him pushing her, not begging her to give up.

He looked back to Maya for guidance. He couldn't stand to see Annie like this. "She can do this," Maya said reassuringly. "Just give her a little more time. She can change her mind if she wants to, but you need to back her up Jimmy. That's what she needs from you right now."

He nodded and sat back down beside Annie's bed. "You can do this. Just hang in there," he told her as strongly as he could manage. She nodded as she bit her lip again to keep it from quivering.

Maya looked back to the tech, "Come and get me if there is any change."

Annie looked over to Jimmy, "Why don't you go check on Marco and Daisy…see if Gomez showed…I'll be fine for a few minutes, or you can send Daisy back for a bit if you want…" she gripped the arm of the bed again trying to fight through the pain, "Just make sure we don't get Gomez or her daughter hurt."

"Boots, are you sure…I can stay, have a nurse bring Daisy back so we can see what's going on out there," Jimmy didn't want to leave her.

"No Jimmy, I'm fine…I promise. Go, this is important. They will come and get you if something changes," Annie said looking to the tech who nodded in agreement.

Jimmy finally nodded, "I won't be long, and I will send Daisy back for a minute until I get back."

Annie nodded as he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Jimmy hurried out to the waiting area to find Daisy and Marco talking with Esperanza Gomez. He pulled Daisy aside and told her about Annie's situation and then sent her back to sit with her until Marco could get him updated on the other situation. Then he sat down beside Esperanza and told Marco to fill him in.

Daisy knocked lightly on the exam room door before entering. "Come on in," the tech said, never taking her eyes off the monitor.

"Hey, how ya doin?" Daisy asked as she walked over to the chair Jimmy had vacated a few minutes earlier.

Annie looked up at her, unable to hide the fact that she was in an enormous amount of pain, "Been better," she said through clinched teeth. She was still gripping the arm of the bed so hard that her knuckles were white.

"You're doing good Annie. Just keep hangin in there," Daisy said.

Annie just nodded as another moan of agony escaped her lips. She arched her back again, the pain completely taking over her body. The tech looked over at her, "Annie, I know you feel like you are about to die, but if you can somehow convince your body to relax for a few minutes, this thing may fix itself. If you remain tensed up it will only get worse."

Annie knew the tech was trying to help, but anger flooded through her along with the pain. "I am doing the best I can here," she seethed.

Daisy looked over to the tech and then back to Annie, "She's just trying to help…just try and breath."

The tech nodded taking no offense. She seen patients in large amounts of pain on an almost daily basis. "When the ovary untwists itself, if it does, it's going to hurt extremely bad. And if you tense up a lot then it will make it more difficult for it to untwist itself. I know it's hard, but the more relaxed you try to stay, the better chance you have of avoiding surgery."

Annie nodded, "I'm sorry…I will try…it just seems like the pain takes over….it's almost involuntary," she explained.

The tech nodded again, "I know…you're doing good. Most women would have opted out and went for surgery long before now. It's refreshing to see someone like you come in. Someone who puts a baby that they haven't even heard the heartbeat of yet before themselves and their own pain. You are one in a million. And I'm not just saying that."

Annie bit her lip again as another tremendous wave of pain washed over her. She moaned loudly but willed her body to remain still. The tech nodded, "That was good, it looks like it's trying to move. That's a positive sign"

Annie nodded through the pain. Daisy was awe struck that someone could do what Annie was doing. She already respected the veteran marshal, but she now had an even greater newfound respect for her. She smiled down at her and took her hand, squeezing it as Annie squeezed back, "You got this Annie. You're doing great. Just don't give up, hang in there. Scream if you need to, just don't move. Keep your stomach relaxed and this will all be over with soon."

Annie looked up at Daisy silently thanking her. This is what she needed, someone to push her to do what she needed to do. She knew Jimmy was trying, but she also knew it hurt Jimmy to watch her lay there in pain. He wanted this baby to be okay, but he also wanted her to stop hurting, no matter what it took. And right now she needed him to tell her to suck it up and tough it out. And if he wouldn't, she needed someone else to, and she knew Daisy understood that.

A moment later she squeezed Daisy's hand and closed her eyes tight, letting out another moan but keeping her body perfectly still and as relaxed as she could manage. "There you go…it's trying," the tech said, pointing to the monitor on the ultrasound machine. "Just keep it up. You're getting there."

"Hear that," Daisy said, "not much longer, you're on the right track. Just stay strong. Concentrate on trying to squeeze my hand as hard as you can when the pain hits hard. Only squeeze with your hand, leave the rest of your body relaxed. We are gonna get through this."

Annie nodded, this is exactly what she needed.

* * *

In the waiting room Marco updated Jimmy on the case. "Okay, you tell Diablo…or Vasquez, whatever the hell you call him, that Annie was just cramping really bad. The doctors said she was on the verge of miscarriage and it was probably due to stress. She has another appointment tomorrow at three…no make that day after tomorrow at three, to make sure everything is okay. I'm not sure what time we will get out of here tonight. But with you knowing the time and day, if we get extremely lucky, maybe he will wait somewhere else and send you in a car that we can put a tracker on. I doubt it, but we can hope. If he questions you on anything just tell him that I came out and updated the other two marshals that came with us. You were sitting a few feet away and overheard everything but we never even glanced your way."

Esperanza nodded, taking a few notes just like she always would. "Bouff will be here shortly with the bugged pen and maybe we can get some information on what they are planning at least." Jimmy said. "We are going to get you and your daughter out of there, but you are going to have to trust us. Do everything they say, don't give them any reason to doubt you."

Esperanza nodded again, "Should I wait on you to leave before I go or should I go on when I get the pen?"

"Wait on us to tell you to leave. We want it to be as believable as possible so you don't wanna go until he calls you off or until we actually leave," Jimmy told her. He then looked to Marco, "I'm gonna go check on her, I'll send Daisy back out."

Jimmy headed back to the exam room. When he walked in Daisy had Annie's hand telling her to breath through the pain. "How's she doing?" he asked seeing that she was still in a lot of pain.

"She's doing great," Daisy said looking to the tech.

"Things are looking up. The ovary is not untwisted yet, but I think it is on its way," the tech told him.

Jimmy sighed in relief, "I can take over here if you want to go back out with Marco," he told Daisy.

Annie shook her head, "Stay," she told Daisy.

Daisy looked back to Jimmy who furrowed his brows questioningly. "I'm pushing her Jimmy, that's what she needs." He nodded understandingly. "I'll just go tell Marco that one of us will be out to check in with him in a bit."

Daisy nodded and looked back to Annie as Jimmy left. Annie looked up at her, "Thanks…I know he means well….but he's too soft." She took a breath, willing herself to stay relaxed.

Daisy nodded, "He just can't stand to see you hurting. He wants it to stop but you are doing the right thing here. He knows that, but that doesn't make it any easier for him."

Annie nodded and moaned through another excruciating wave of pain. "I'm gonna be sick." She felt the nausea wash over her and she put her hand over her mouth as if she could hold it in.

The tech looked up at her, "See if you can breath through it Annie. The ovary is trying to move and the last thing we need right now is for your stomach to contract."

Annie took several deep breaths. She was on the verge of vomiting when another abrupt wave of pain hit her. She let out a loud moan, gripping Daisy's hand and clinching her teeth together. "Damn…ugh…O God," she cried out, taking deep shallow breaths the whole time, and then suddenly, the pain eased tremendously. It wasn't completely gone, but it wasn't bad anymore. Annie looked to the tech, "I'm gonna be sick!" she exclaimed again.

The tech handed her a bowl and smiled, "Go ahead."

Annie grabbed the bowl and heaved uncontrollably into it. After about thirty seconds of retching with nothing coming up, Annie sat back in the bed and took several deep breaths. "What happened?" she asked the tech.

The tech put the ultrasound wand back on Annie's abdomen and pointed at something on the screen, "Your ovary is no longer twisted. It was a major long shot Annie, but it untwisted itself. Looks like no surgery, this time."

Annie closed her eyes and took a few more deep breaths, "What do you mean…this time?"

The tech cleaned the gel off her stomach, "As long as that cyst is there, there is a chance this could happen again. Hopefully it wont, and when you reach the second trimester Doctor G can remove that cyst if it still hasn't went away."

Annie nodded, "Wow…I'm tired," she said.

"I am going to get Doc G and let her know that things are looking up," the tech said as she exited the room.

Jimmy almost ran over the tech on his way back in, "What's going on?"

The tech smiled, "See for yourself." She pointed Jimmy into the room.

Annie smiled when she seen him, swatting away the tears that had suddenly filled her eyes. Daisy backed away and let Jimmy go to her side, "Are you okay?" he asked as he took her hand.

Annie just nodded as he pulled her into an embrace. She felt herself shake as emotion overtook her. She didn't really know why she was crying, but she couldn't stop herself. Jimmy just held her and let her cry. Finally he pulled her away from him and looked down at her, "Annie, is anything wrong?" he asked.

She sniffled a little and wiped at the tears that were still rolling down her face, "No Jimmy…I'm fine. I don't know what's wrong with me…" she trailed off as more tears escaped.

Maya walked in smiling. She seen Jimmy holding Annie and noticed Annie's emotions immediately. However they didn't seem to concern her at all. Jimmy one the other hand, was very concerned. "Maya, is everything okay?"

Maya nodded, "Everything is great Jimmy…for now. I want to keep her overnight and make sure everything stays that way though, if that's okay." She could tell Jimmy was still very concerned over Annie's current breakdown. Maya put her hand on Jimmy's shoulder reassuringly, "Jimmy, she just experienced the worst kind of pain that a woman could possibly go through, and she endured it for a long long time. And now that it's over she is mentally and physically exhausted, and she is hormonal on top of everything else. I would be shocked if she wasn't breaking down right now." Maya rubbed Annie on the back, "You done great. I need you to rest now. You shouldn't have any trouble going to sleep. As soon as morning comes and we make sure everything is still good, I will release you."

Daisy finally stepped up, "Well, I'm gonna step out here and make sure we have Mrs. Gomez set up. I will talk to you in a bit Jimmy. Annie, get some rest girl." Daisy walked out and made her way back to the waiting room. Marco was still sitting with Esperanza as Daisy made her way over to them. Bouff had already came and gone and Esperanza was just waiting on someone to tell her to go. Diablo had already called her again and she had told him what Jimmy had said to tell him. He told her to stay for another little while as long as the other two marshals stayed and see if she heard anything else.

Daisy sat down beside Marco and let out a sigh of relief, "She's good now." They are going to keep her overnight for observation and then release her in the morning.

Marco nodded, "That's good. Should we get back to the office…update Luke?"

Daisy smiled, "All these vagina's making you nervous?" she asked as she motioned to some of the pictures of the woman's reproductive system and various stages of gestation that were mounted on the wall.

Marco laughed lightly and held up a pamphlet entitled _What to expect in early pregnancy. _"I have actually learned a lot. I think I have read every pamphlet in this joint"

Daisy rolled her eyes and looked over to Esperanza, "How you doing?"

She smiled nervously and shrugged, "I just wish there was something I could tell you to help you find us faster."

Daisy nodded, "I do to, but we are going to help you. This is the safest way to go about it. We could try and get to Vasquez now but there is no guarantee we would get him or that he would tell us where his father and your daughter are. Just keep cooperating with him and we will get to you. He won't do anything stupid as long as you are still helping him. Now, when he calls you back again, you tell him that they are keeping Annie overnight but from what you overheard she is doing much better."

Esperanza nodded, still not liking her situation but she felt better knowing that the marshals were going to try and help her. The three sat in silence for a few more minutes and then Esperanza's phone started to vibrate. She answered and told Diablo what Daisy had instructed her to. When she hung up she looked back to Daisy and Marco. "He wants me to come out as soon as I can without drawing any attention to myself. I don't think he suspects anything though."

Daisy nodded, "Good. You keep doing what you're told and hopefully we will see you back here in a couple days if not before."

Esperanza nodded sadly and thanked them. She slowly got up and walked out with the bugged pen in her right pocket. She was nervous about planting it but they had assured her that even if they found it they would never find the bug inside. She took a breath before exiting the hospital and heading back to her own living hell.

**Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you all so so much for all of the wonderful reviews! They make me want to keep writing! I got a little hung up with this chapter and I sincerely apologize that it has taken this long! I will do my best to get the next one up quicker! And for those of you begging for another story, I really really appreciate it and I will do my best to start one as soon as I finish this one. I am just afraid to get two stories going at once and to tell the truth this one has taken so many twists and turns on it's own that I am not sure how long it will end up being! Just be sure you guys keep those reviews coming and I will do my best to keep the updates coming!**

Daisy and Marco stood behind Brian Bouffton and listened in on Diablo's conversation with Esperanza Gomez. Bouff said he had been monitoring the conversation ever since Gomez got into the car with Diablo and that he didn't think that she had actually planted the bug yet. "It must still be in her pocket because we should be able to hear when she drops it under the seat," Bouff said.

"So Diablo didn't say anything juicy before we got here?" Marco asked.

Bouff shook his head, "Just been asking questions about Jimmy's state of mind when he updated you guys on Annie's situation. Was he upset?, Did he act nervous?…things like that. It sounds like Diablo is pretty worried about Annie. What's going on with her anyways? Why is she at the hospital?"

Bouff had been working with the HEAT team for about two years now and the team had grown to trust him a lot. Daisy looked at Marco and then back to Bouff, "Just between us?" Bouff nodded for Daisy to continue. "She's pregnant and having a lot of problems. No one knows yet because as of right now it's pretty touch and go. They haven't even heard the baby's heart beat yet because it's too early. She doesn't want to tell the chief until the doctor hears a strong heart beat and says that everything looks good."

Bouff looked a little shocked, "What's the doctor saying right now?"

"Not to get her hopes up," Daisy said.

Bouff shook his head, "That's gotta suck. I hope she's okay."

"She was doing better when we left. They are keeping her overnight for observation and releasing her in the morning. Jimmy stayed with her," Daisy told him.

"Yea, I bet he's a basket case. Between Annie and the baby…he is probably going crazy," Bouff said.

Daisy looked at him, narrowing her eyes, "Who said Jimmy was the father?"

Bouff smiled, "Come on Hurricane, who the hell else would it be, Ben Crowley? I've seen the way Jimmy looks at her, and her at him. If the chief doesn't already suspect something between them he doesn't have his eyes open."

"He may suspect, but he doesn't know anything for sure. Those two have been close since long before they even worked here. They have always looked at each other like that…it just seems like everyone else noticed it before they did. They actually haven't been together that long," Daisy informed the technician.

"Coulda fooled me," he said smiling. "I bet there is more to them than you know. They have some kind of past, they have to."

"I'm sure they do. We better get back to work…let us know if anything good comes up with this. And no one but you listens to this. If you can't listen, record it and play it back, or better yet, come get one of us. Things should get quiet soon so maybe you can get some sleep. Call me as soon as they make a move in the morning. We need to stay one step ahead of them if we ever wanna catch em'." With that Daisy and Marco headed back to the bullpen where Luke and Micah were still waiting.

Luke had been updated on Annie's situation and Micah had also been brought into the loop. They had all decided that as of right now they would hold off on any kind of plan to use Micah for bait. She did, however, want to hang around a little longer to make sure she couldn't do anything to help. She had began to fit in pretty well with the team, and Luke really liked having a newbie around to take some of the pressure of being the new guy off of him.

"Luke, did you guys find anything?" Marco asked as he and Daisy entered the bullpen.

"Still nothing on the truck or trailer Vasquez had way back when, but we did manage to find a name and possibly an address for the witness," Luke said.

"What do you mean possibly?" Daisy asked.

"It's a last known address," Micah said. "We don't actually know if she still lives there."

Marco nodded looking at his watch, "Well, it's after midnight. If she does still live there she is probably in the bed. Did you find out where this mystery woman works?"

Luke shook his head, "I can't find anything on her except her name, which is Jessica Harmon, and the address on her DMV record. No work history, no family, nothing."

"Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm pooped. I'm gonna check back in with Bouff and call Jimmy to check on Annie, then I'm headed for the bunks. We need to be headed to pay Ms. Harmon a visit at dawn so I suggest you all get some rest as well," Daisy said as she turned and walked away pulling her cell out and dialing Jimmy.

* * *

Jimmy sat in the chair beside Annie as he watched her sleep. She had finally calmed down and stopped crying after about a fifteen minute total breakdown when the excruciating pain had finally stopped. Shortly after that she was out like a light, lightly snoring with each breath she took.

Maya had told Jimmy that she would probably sleep heavily for hours due to how exhausted her body was from sustaining the amount of pain it did for as long as it did and that he should try and get some rest as well. However, he just couldn't bring himself to leave her side. He couldn't bare the thought of her waking up and not knowing where she was or wondering why he wasn't there. He heard a light knock on the door. Maya walked in and smiled softly at him, "Jimmy, I'm having one of the nurses bring in a recliner from the lounge. It's not a bed, but it's the best I can do. I know you aren't going to leave her side, so at least this way maybe you can get some sleep."

Jimmy nodded, "Thanks Maya. I would have been fine though. I'm still pretty worked up. I'm not sure that I could sleep if I tried."

It was a lie and she knew it. Jimmy was almost just as exhausted as Annie was and Maya knew if he would just lay back and relax for five minutes he would join Annie in dreamland. "Just humor me Jimmy, try and get some sleep. This isn't over yet. I'm hoping that never happens again, but even if it doesn't she is going to be pretty sore for a few days. She needs to be careful and take it easy. She shouldn't do a lot of bending over or get up suddenly. Do everything extremely slow, and absolutely no picking things up or carrying anything that weighs over five pounds. Until we get that cyst out or it shrinks on it's own, that ovary could twist again and the next time we may not be able to avoid surgery. If she feels any endo pain she needs to try and stay as relaxed as possible, the more tense she gets the more likely you are to end up back here in the same situation."

Jimmy nodded, "I hear you Maya. Trust me, I think she is going to want to do everything she can to avoid this kind of thing happening again. Normally I would worry about her not listening to the things she's not suppose to do, but this time I don't think I am going to have to keep reminding her."

Maya smiled, "She did a brave thing today. It's not often that a patient like her comes in, willing to endure that amount of pain for a baby that less than a week ago she didn't even know she had. That's awesome Jimmy…she's definitely a keeper."

Jimmy nodded, "That she is." Just then his phone buzzed. "It's Daisy," he said pointing at the ID.

Maya nodded and waved, "I will see you in the morning before we discharge her. Get some rest."

Jimmy nodded as he answered his phone. "What's up Daisy?"

"Not much, just going back to check in with Bouff before I hit the sac. How's Annie?" she asked.

"Sleeping like a baby, thank God," he exclaimed.

"That's good to hear. I just wanted to check in before I went to bed. Get some rest Jimmy. Luke has a name for the witness. Him and Marco can go check her out in the morning and I will come and pick you and Annie up. Call me when you wake up."

"Okay Daisy. Thanks. And don't hesitate to call me if there is any kind of development in the night," Jimmy told her.

"You got it," she said as she disconnected.

Jimmy smiled as the nurse wheeled in a chocolate colored leather recliner. "It's not a bed, but it's the best we could do," she told him smiling.

"I really appreciate it," Jimmy said helping her put it beside Annie's bed. "I am just glad you guys are letting me stay with her."

The short black nurse smiled again, "You're exactly where you should be. Now you come and get me if you need anything. I'm on all night…I'll be at the nurses station right down the hall. There is a call button on the side of the bed you can press as well." She pointed to the button.

Jimmy nodded, "Thank you so much. I think we are fine for now."

The nurse nodded and turned to leave, "There are some vending machines down the hall too if you need something to eat or drink," she said as she walked out the door still smiling.

Jimmy leaned back in the recliner, placing one hand through the arm of the bed and onto Annie's arm so that he would feel her if she woke up. He then closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He was asleep within seconds.

* * *

"She has dropped the pen under the seat. I heard it rattle when she dropped it and now everything has been quiet for almost five minutes. They must have made it to their destination. If so, it took them right at forty two minutes and twenty seven seconds from the time they left the hospital to the time they exited the car. But, they may not have went straight there either. If this guy is as smart as you all say he is, chances are he takes a lot of precautions to ensure that he isn't being tailed." Bouff explained to Daisy.

Daisy nodded, "Yea, that's what I'm figuring too. Okay Bouff, get some rest. Make sure you know if they get back in this car tonight though…you know my number if and when they make a move."

"You got it," he said as he plugged some ear phones into the speakers and turned the volume wide open. "This way I will definitely not sleep through anything," he said smiling as he kicked his feet up on the desk and rested his head on the back of his chair.

Daisy smiled, "Thanks Bouff, for working so hard for us." She turned and walked away, heading towards the bunks.

* * *

Marco and Luke woke Daisy up around 5 the next morning. "We are gonna grab some HPD units and head out to Jessica Harmon's place. You goin?" Marco asked her.

Daisy shook her head. "Jimmy wants you to bring her in if you find her. I am heading to the hospital in a little bit to pick them up. We will meet you back here after while."

Marco nodded as he and Luke turned to go. Daisy laid in bed a few more minutes and finally talked herself into getting up. She took a shower and got dressed before heading over to check on Bouff. She found him with a steaming cup of coffee and the earphones still in his ears. He didn't look like he had gotten much sleep. "What up Bouff?" she said in her normal banter.

He shook his head tiredly. "Your guys aren't much for sleep. They were roaming the town most of the night. Didn't really talk about much though. Mostly listened to music. The only conversation they had was about things they have already done."

Daisy nodded, "They still going?"

"I think they are about to settle down now. I haven't heard a peep out of them in about a half hour," Bouff said.

Daisy nodded, "Listen, I can bring Micah over to listen in while you grab a couple hours…as long as that's okay with you."

"Micah, she's the cop from Dallas that could be Annie's twin, right?" Bouff asked.

Daisy nodded, "Yea, we had big plans for her but that has kind of fell through for now. She is hanging around for a few days though, to make sure we still cant use her. She's straight, I trust her."

Bouff nodded, "That's good enough for me. I could definitely use a couple hours of shut eye. Send her over and I will show her the ropes. At least she can surf the net to pass the time over here."

Daisy went back and told Micah what she needed from her. Micah nodded and went to take a quick shower before heading over to Bouff.

Daisy decided she would head on over to the hospital. Annie should be released as soon as she woke up and was checked out, which could be anytime.

* * *

Annie opened her eyes slowly. She still felt tired but the bustle in the hallway had woken her. She looked around slightly confused until the memories of last night hit her. She looked over to find Jimmy still sleeping in a recliner beside her. She felt bad for him. She probably could have made room for him in the bed but she had fallen asleep so suddenly that she didn't remember much except for the pain ending, the tears falling, and then nothing. She didn't even remember laying down. Wow, she must have really been out of it. She felt much better now though, that is until she moved. She winced as she tried to sit up. Her stomach felt like she had done a thousand sit ups in a row. She had never been this sore in her life.

Jimmy must have sensed that she was awake. His hand had fallen away from her sometime during the night so he didn't feel her move, but shortly after she had woken, his eyes started to flutter open. "Hey Boots," he said squinting up at her. "How you feeling?"

She turned her head towards him, "Pain free for right now," she smiled softly.

"Maya said you would probably be sore," Jimmy said rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Annie nodded and looked up to the ceiling, "Yea, I noticed."

Just then there was a light knock on the door. Maya stuck her head in and switched the light in the room on when she seen that both Annie and Jimmy were awake. "Hey, I have a patient in labor so I thought I would pop in here before I got hung up in labor and delivery. How you feeling? Any pain?"

Annie shook her head, "Not right now. How long was I out?"

Maya smiled, "Not long enough really. Only about five hours. I want to do a quick ultrasound and make sure everything still looks good. If it does I will let you go, but I want you to take it easy Annie. As you probably already know, you are going to be pretty sore for a couple days. I want you to stay down as much as possible, whether it's in a bed or a chair, just not a lot of walking or bending over. Don't pick anything up or try carrying anything over about five pounds. And most importantly, try to stay as relaxed as you can. If the endometriosis starts aggravating you, try to stay relaxed and breath through it instead of tensing up. Call if it gets bad again. And Annie, you need to understand that until we get that cyst out or it shrinks on its own, there is a chance that your ovary will twist again or that the cyst could rupture. The more you take it easy the better your chances to avoid last night all over again." Maya rolled over the ultrasound machine and took the gel out of the drawer.

Annie nodded, "Trust me, the last thing I want is a repeat of last night. What happens if the cyst ruptures? Will that hurt the baby?"

"If the cyst ruptures it will feel very similar to the pain you felt last night. Your abdomen will probably become distended and very tender. There is also a possibility of hemorrhaging so if you ever even think the cyst may have ruptured you need to get here quickly. A ruptured cyst can cause miscarriage because of the intense pain it causes, along with other complications that could put your own life at risk. In short Annie, this is serious. You need to listen to your body and make sure you can recognize the type of pain you are having. Some other symptoms of a ruptured cyst are nausea, vomiting, fever, weakness, dizziness, fainting and if you experience any of these multiple symptoms along with severe pain call me immediately. Don't take this lightly Annie, the baby is not the only one at risk here," Maya said seriously.

Annie nodded and looked up towards the ceiling trying to keep her emotions at bay. Maya put her hand over Annie's, "I'm not trying to scare you…I just want you to take this very seriously. Hopefully, with a little luck we will get you to about fifteen weeks without any more problems and then we can go in and get this thing out of there and never have to worry about it again."

Annie smiled softly still staring at the ceiling, "Yea, we could use a little bit of luck right now."

Maya smiled as Annie raised her shirt to reveal her stomach so that Maya could do the ultrasound. After a few minutes Maya smiled again, "Okay, everything looks good for now. In about two weeks we should be able to hear the heartbeat. Make sure you eat well and get plenty of fluids and rest. Call me if you need anything at all," Maya looked to Jimmy, "I will send a nurse in with the discharge papers and as soon as she signs them you guys can go."

Jimmy nodded, "Thanks Maya."

Maya nodded, "Jimmy, I am going to have the nurse bring a wheel chair as well to take her downstairs with…make her use it," she said pointing at Annie and smiling.

Annie rolled her eyes. A few minutes later Jimmy's phone rang. It was Daisy letting them know that she was on her way. By the time Daisy got there the nurse had brought in the discharge papers and Annie had signed them. Now they were waiting on the wheelchair.

Annie rolled her eyes again, "I really think I can walk."

"You heard Maya, now just sit tight. The nurse said she would be right back," Jimmy told the very impatient Annie.

Daisy told Jimmy and Annie that Marco and Luke went to pick up Jessica Harmon if she did in fact still live at the address on her DMV record. "We should be hearing something from them pretty soon," Daisy explained.

"What about the bug?" Jimmy asked.

"What bug?" Annie asked confused.

They explained how they sent a bugged pen with Esperanza because it was the only thing that they could do without getting her caught. "Guys…we should have done more. We couldn't tail them or anything?"

"Annie, they have her four year old daughter. If we get caught because we weren't prepared like last night, we may never find the little girl. We didn't have much of a choice. She is telling Diablo that you have another appointment here tomorrow at three. We will be prepared to tail him then, without getting caught," Jimmy explained.

"I know, I know…you're right. It's just hard to imagine that we had to send her back to that psycho," Annie said looking at the door as the nurse finally rolled the chair in. She winced as she set up to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

"Easy there Boots, let me help you," Jimmy said as he put his arms around her and lifter her up to a standing position. "You okay to stand?"

She nodded, "I think so." She took slow easy steps towards the chair. Walking didn't really hurt her at all, but when she went to sit in the chair she inhaled sharply as her stomach burned from the soreness. She quickly learned to hold onto the arms of the chair and support her weight with her arms and try and leave her stomach muscles as loose as possible.

When Annie was in the chair the nurse wheeled her out of the clinic and to the elevator. "I will let you take it from here," she said to Jimmy.

"Thank you," he told the nurse as she turned back towards the clinic smiling.

He wheeled Annie out of the hospital and to the passenger side of the Escalade. Jimmy got on one side of her and Daisy on the other, "Let us pull you up okay?"

Annie nodded as they took her arms and easily helped her up. She shut her eyes tight against the soreness as she lifted one leg into the vehicle and then let Jimmy and Daisy help her the rest of the way in. "You okay?" Jimmy asked as she leaned her head back against the seat.

She nodded, "I'm good."

Daisy's phone started to ring as she climbed in the Escalade. "Tell me something good guys," she said as she answered.

"We've got her, but I don't know how much she can give us," Luke said on the other end of the line.

"What do you mean?" Daisy asked.

"She's an addict, and she is not a very high functioning one either. From the looks of her and her place she is a long time user. She's skin and bones Daisy. I don't really know how she is still alive. She has needle marks all over her arms and probably a lot more places. I just don't think she is going to help us much." Luke said sighing.

"Bring her in anyways. Do you know what her drug of choice is?" Daisy asked.

"Marco said from the looks of her she will take anything she can get her hands on. She wont answer any questions yet though. We found some stuff in her house that we are sending to the lab. From the looks of it she into meth along with coke and heroin when she could afford it. We think we found some traces of each but like I said, she's not talking. We should be back to the office in less than an hour," Luke told her.

"Okay, we are leaving the hospital now. We'll see you in a bit," Daisy said disconnecting. She then looked to the front seats where Jimmy drove and Annie braced herself against the movement of the vehicle. "Luke says it doesn't look like Harmon is going to be much help." She went on to explain the situation.

"Dammit," Annie said. "It seems like every lead we get is a dead end."

Jimmy shook his head, "Maybe she will give us something if we offer to cut her loose."

Annie shook her head, "If we think she may be dealing to support her habit she's not going anywhere but prison."

Jimmy didn't respond. He knew Annie wasn't high on cutting deals with anyone much less a person who was putting others at risk by dealing. He would try and talk some sense into her later if he thought that Harmon could possibly know something that would help them. But until then he would let Annie have her way.

When they got to the office Jimmy pulled up to the front door to let Annie out. He and Daisy helped her out and Jimmy helped her inside while Daisy parked the vehicle. After Annie was sitting comfortably at her desk while Jimmy went in the lounge to get her a yogurt, a banana and a bottle of water along with some prenatal vitamins that Maya had given him.

Annie smiled as he sat it all down in front of her. "Maya said that you should start taking these vitamins but to be sure and eat with them or they could upset your stomach," Jimmy told her. "You still feeling okay?"

Annie nodded as she took the pill with a drink of water and then opened the yogurt. "Yes Jimmy, I'm fine. Why don't you go and check to see if Bouff has heard anything."

Jimmy nodded as he watched her for a second. "Okay, I'll be right back."

Annie sat eating her yogurt until Daisy came in. "It's good to see you eating something."

Annie smiled, "It's good to actually want to eat something. How far out are Luke and Marco?"

Daisy checked her watch, "Should be here in about twenty."

A few minutes later Jimmy was back. "Micah is still sitting in for Bouff. She said there has been no activity since you left this morning," he said looking to Daisy."

"So, let me get this straight," Anne said. "We are suppose to go back for an appointment tomorrow at three, and hopefully Esperanza will meet us there and we are going to try and tail them when we leave?"

Jimmy shook his head, "No we," he pointed back and forth at Annie and himself, "aren't tailing anyone. We are going to have our people set up to tail Diablo when he leaves the hospital and we are going to have enough of them so that they can set up on parallel routes and switch out every time he makes a turn. There is no way he should catch us. We need to make sure that everyone involved in this is experienced because Diablo isn't going to make this easy. I don't want him to suspect anything, but I don't want him lost either. You and I," he pointed back to Annie, "are going to be running point from right here," he said pointing at the ground.

Annie wrinkled her brow, "What about the doctor's appointment? Won't we be there?"

Jimmy smiled, "Marco is going to actually take you to the hospital for your appointment and you two are going to go up to the clinic where you and Marco will wait for Esperanza. As soon as she gets there you are going to meet me at another exit where Micah will then walk up and join Marco. You and I will haul ass back here to run point and coordinate with HPD and our guys during the tail. As soon as we are set up Marco will go get the vehicle and pick Micah up at the door so Diablo doesn't get a good look at her. Esperanza will then go tell Diablo that all went well with the appointment and that we still do not suspect anything and when she gets in with him we will begin the tail and hopefully he will take us back to his cubby hole."

It was Annie's turn to smile now, "Jimmy, that's brilliant. I can't believe you are actually going to let me walk down a hospital hallway alone!"

Jimmy shook his head, "There will be someone with you at all times and you will be in a wheel chair, not on your feet. It's a pretty good walk to the exit on the other side of the hospital and that is my one condition."

Annie nodded, "You've gotta deal Cowboy."

Daisy smiled at the banter between the two. "I'm guessing that's where I will come in…Annie's escort?"

Jimmy nodded, "The jobs yours if you want it. I figured she could use a break from me"

Annie laughed out loud, immediately regretting it as her stomach burned. "Damn Jimmy, don't make me laugh."

He smiled, "I hate that it hurt you, but it was great to hear. That's the first time I have heard you laugh since…I can't remember when."

The three marshals talked and joked but the happiness was short lived. Marco and Luke entered the office about fifteen minutes later with Jessica Harmon in tow. The 45 year old woman looked more like she was in her late 50's but there was still something very familiar about the woman when Annie looked in her brown eyes. Annie wracked her brain trying to place how she knew the woman and then it finally clicked. It was a long time ago, but Annie remembered it like it was yesterday. When she was nine years old, not long after her mother died, her father went back on the road. She would travel with him some, but when she didn't she would stayed with a babysitter, until her father would return. Sometimes he was gone for a day, sometimes a week, but until Annie was twelve years old she stayed with the same woman every time. A woman who she had only known as Jess. She now realized that she was staring into the same brown eyes that she had stared into for many nights a long time ago.

Jimmy noticed the look on Annie's face. He followed Annie's eyes an found that she was staring intently at the witness that Marco and Luke were practically dragging in. Jimmy looked back to her a little confused, "What is it Boots?" She was in a daze and didn't react at all to Jimmy's voice. Finally he bent down in front of her, forcing her to break her gaze that was still on the woman. "Boots?"

She finally shook her head and blinked, tears obvious in her eyes. She rotated her chair around so that she wasn't facing the woman or her colleagues anymore. Jimmy walked around and knelt in front of her, "Boots, talk to me."

She shook her head again, "She use to be my nanny Jimmy."

**Well, there it is…sorry it took so long! Please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you all so much for the many reviews! I am so sorry I left you all hanging this long. I have been so busy I have barely had any time to write! I promise you though that I have not quit writing. It may take a while for updates because I am starting a new job next week, but just hang in there and I will update as quickly and as often as I can! Thanks again…here's what you have all been begging for. It's not got a lot of action but more of that will come later!**

Chapter 18

Jimmy ran his hand over his face as he shook his head. This was unbelievable along with the last thing they needed right now. "Take her to the interview room," he told Marco before turning back to Annie.

Annie sat in complete silence trying to tell herself to pull it together. This was all getting to be too much though. There was only so much she could take, but she was at her limit. She could feel Jimmy's eyes on her and she took a breath before bringing her eyes to meet his, "I'm fine Jimmy. I can handle this," she said calmly. Almost too calmly.

Jimmy narrowed his eyes, "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" he asked pointedly.

She shook her head, "Let's just see if she can remember anything about that night. Chances are that she's to strung out to remember who she is, much less something that happened fifteen years ago."

After a long pause Jimmy nodded, "Okay Boots, I'll talk to her…see what she can give us. You stay right here, and if you need anything have someone come get me."

Annie nodded subtly, still in shock over who the witness turned out to be. Jimmy walked across the room and filled the others in on the situation so Annie wouldn't have to. It was a touchy subject, and they all knew it. Daisy told Jimmy that she would sit with Annie while him and Marco interviewed Harmon.

Annie was quiet for a long time. She knew Daisy meant well, but she really just wanted to be left alone. The hardest thing about it was that she couldn't just get up and walk out like she really wanted to. Seeing Jess had brought back a lot of memories that Annie had blocked for so long. Memories that brought a lot of raw emotions back with them. She remembered exactly how she felt the day her mom died and how her father had tried so hard to comfort her. She remembered how her father had tried to take care of her before he finally turned back to his life of crime. He had tried, but Annie had needed her mother and no matter what her father did he just couldn't take a woman's place. He finally hired Jess, a 24 year old waitress, to take care of Annie while he was on the road. At first her father would only leave Annie with Jess during the day. But after a while he would stay gone for days at a time, sometimes longer. Eventually, Annie looked at Jess as a mother figure. She came to rely on her until she was a little over 12 years old. That's when Jess started becoming unreliable. Annie was again losing the one constant in her life, and that is what had made her the way she was today. Now that Annie thought back, that is probably when Jess had started using. It didn't matter now though. Back then, Jess had meant the world to Annie, and then, like every other adult in her life, she had left without any kind of explanation. Annie started taking care of herself, and vowed never to let anyone that close to her again.

Until now that is. She thought about her relationship with Jimmy. She knew that Jimmy would never abandon her. But deep down she still felt that unsure feeling. She had been hurt too many times in her life and she knew that no matter how much you loved someone, sometimes it still wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to save her mother, or to keep her father from turning back to crime. And after years of Jess telling Annie that she thought of her as her own daughter, Jess had abandoned her for drugs. Annie had been cut deep a long time ago, and now it was all coming back along with the insecurity and there was nothing that anyone could do or say to make it go away.

"You okay?" Daisy asked pulling her from her thoughts.

Annie nodded, unable to speak. She thought about where she was in her life. She was the leader of an elite task force. She was the person everyone looked to for guidance. Her independence had helped her become the leader that she was today and she was thankful for that. But now, for the first time in a long time, she wished she could just feel like a normal person. She wished she could have a relationship without the constant nagging feeling that no matter how good things were, not to get too comfy because one day it could all be gone with no warning or explanation. Someone could just disappear and leave her picking up the peaces of herself again, and the next time she wasn't sure that could take it.

She sat in silence for a long time, thinking about what she needed to do. Finally she came to the conclusion that she needed to push her feelings and insecurities aside. There was a woman and a little girl that needed the help of her team right now and that was the most important thing to remember at the moment. She looked to Daisy, taking a deep breath and then said, "Daisy, let's start coordinating with HPD and we need to pull some of our more experienced marshals in. I want the best we have on the job tomorrow afternoon. I want them ready to run parallel to each other in five block increments or until Diablo makes a turn. We will follow him directly and indirectly in unmarked vehicles. I don't want any company vehicles, no black tahoes or explorers. We need family cars or trucks. Something that Diablo isn't going to look twice at. I will talk to the chief and see if he can get us what we need, you get on the phone and find the manpower to make this happen. I would say we need around fifteen drivers. I want to meet with them here at 10:30 tomorrow morning where they will be briefed."

Daisy smiled and nodded, "Yes ma'am."

Annie picked up the phone and dialed the chief. She explained the plan and asked for what she needed. He told her there would be at lest ten unmarked vehicles ready and he would do his best to find a few more. She thanked him as she quickly hung up before he could ask her anything personal.

When she looked up she seen Jimmy coming across the room. By the look on his face the interview had not went well. "What happened?" Annie asked when he got to his desk.

Jimmy shook his head, "She practically told me to fuck off. She's a live wire…said that she didn't have anything to say and that she wanted a lawyer."

Annie sighed, "Jimmy, I could try and talk to her."

Jimmy immediately frowned, "No way. She's too unpredictable. I'm not sure what she's on but I am sure that I don't trust her. She could snap at any moment and I don't like the idea of you being in there when she does."

Annie looked at him for a long time before she spoke again. "Jimmy, you can come in with me. I've seen what drugs can make people do and the last thing I want is to put this baby in danger. But I know her Jimmy. Her and I were almost as close as mother and daughter at one time. If she is going to talk, she will talk to me."

Jimmy thought about it. He didn't like it at all, but he also knew Annie was right. "Okay Boots, but I am staying right beside you the whole time. I don't care if she likes it or not…" he trailed off for a minute before looking back to her, "Are you sure about this. I know how bad you want to catch this guy but you have to take care of yourself, emotionally as much as physically."

Annie nodded slightly, "I can handle it Jimmy."

He nodded back, still not sure how truthful she was being with him. He helped her up out the chair she had been in since they came in from the hospital. "Easy Boots, just take it slow."

After Annie was up she shook Jimmy's hand off, "It doesn't hurt to walk Jimmy. Just getting up and down. Now, let's get this over with."

Jimmy led Annie slowly into the interview room. He helped her ease into the chair across the table from Jessica Harmon, who was watching the both of them carefully. Jimmy then pulled up a chair beside Annie and settled into it, waiting on one of the women to talk.

Annie just sat and stared into the eyes of the woman that she once thought the world of. The same woman that had tucked her in at night and promised her so many times that everything would work out for the best. Jessica stared back questioningly. "Do I know you?" she finally asked Annie.

Annie cocked her eyebrow slightly, "You use to," she said cold and with no emotion.

Jessica kept looking at her, trying to figure out the connection. She fidgeted and jerked a lot, a side effect from the drugs. She finally shook her head, "I got nothing to say." She crossed her arms and sit back in her chair defiantly.

Annie stared at her for another long minute before she leaned forward, putting her arms on the table and straightening herself, hiding the painful burn in her stomach that she felt with every movement. "That's fine. You can just listen then. Fifteen years ago you said you seen a man exit the apartment of a murder victim. This man's name was Juan Vasquez and he was convicted and sentenced to life based on your statement and some questionable evidence. All I want to know is if your statement was the truth, or if you were protecting someone else?"

Jessica shook her head, "Who the hell do I got to protect?"

Annie rolled her eyes, "How about William Frost?"

This got Jessica's attention. She sat a little straighter and looked back into Annie's eyes. She was confused now, like her mind was playing tricks on her. "You know, William had a daughter…she would be about your age now…same eyes too."

Annie just stared back, still showing no emotion at all. "You don't say?" she asked coldly.

Jessica began to shake her head furiously, "You're trying to confuse me. I'm not that stupid. No daughter of William's would have ever ended up here."

Annie just cocked her brow again, "Maybe, maybe not." She stared at her for another long minute, watching her squirm in her seat. "Look, all I need to know is if you really saw Juan Vasquez that night or not. I'm not after any kind of explanation other than that. You are not in any kind of trouble…yet. But keep being uncooperative and you will be. You can count on that."

Jessica was getting more and more fidgety. She was scratching her nose and head, a side effect from whatever drugs she had taken. Annie could tell that she was coming down fast. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked extremely sleepy. "I hate Juan Vasquez…" she slurred, her eyes becoming more and more droopy.

Annie knocked on the table loudly, "Stay with me Jess. Why do you hate him?"

Jessica looked at Annie again, "No one has called me Jess in a…long time. Are you…playing tricks on me?" She was trying hard to focus, but Annie knew she would more than likely not remember this conversation later.

Annie shook her head, "No tricks. Now tell me about Vasquez," she said softly.

Jessica blinked hard, her head felt like it weighed a ton. She was trying to think, but the thoughts were too blurry. "I need to sleep…then I will talk to you. I will tell you everything I can remember." Her words were getting harder to understand.

Annie nodded looking to Jimmy. They both watched Jessica lay her head on the table and within seconds she was out of it. "You think she knows anything?" Jimmy asked.

Annie nodded a little, "She knows something…I just don't know if what she knows will help us. I guess we can put a guard on her and they can come and get us when she wakes up."

Jimmy nodded and helped Annie to her feet. She felt a dull pain beginning low in her abdomen, rolling her eyes just a bit when she thought about how inconvenient that was. "Did Luke or Marco ever come up with anything on Vasquez's truck?" she asked pushing the pain aside for the time being.

Jimmy shook his head, "They couldn't find anything. He probably sold it or Angela did after he went away. There is no record of any eighteen wheelers that were registered in his name."

Annie looked at Jimmy and then let him help her settle into her chair. She thought for a minute and then looked back up at him, "What about the company he worked for? What was the name of it…" she fished through some files on her desk quickly. "Big Tex Imports…the truck could have belonged to them and Vasquez just drove it. They went out of business two years after Vasquez went to prison." Annie typed the business name into the search engine on her computer and a minute later she started talking again, "According to this, some of their trucks and trailers were bought by other small businesses around the state, and some were bought by individuals. Jimmy, send Luke and Marco out to talk to Joey Ramos. He owned the company back then and he may have a record of what truck Vasquez drove and where it ended up. It's probably a dead end but I am sick of waiting around. We may as well look into the information we have."

Jimmy nodded, "I'll let them know."

Annie rested back in her chair. The pain was no worse, but it was no better either. Annie closed her eyes for a moment. She was tired, she felt as though she hadn't slept at all and even though she could normally work for days with no sleep right now she felt like she could fall asleep sitting straight up.

"You should go lay down," Daisy said as she walked over to her. Annie looked at her with a 'yea right' expression and Daisy smiled back. "I've got eight marshals and seven HPD guys lined up for tomorrow morning. I also have HPD on standby for tomorrow afternoon. That way, when we get them cornered HPD will be ready to roll in."

Annie nodded, "Good work Daisy. Jimmy's sending Luke and Marco out to see if we can find anymore info on the truck Vasquez use to drive. Probably doesn't matter if we find it or not but I just hate sitting around here and doing nothing."

"I agree," Daisy said.

Just then Micah walked into the bullpen. "Hey, you guys might wanna hear this," she said motioning to the two women. Annie looked to Daisy, "Help me up, will ya?" She hated having to rely on people for help but she didn't have much of a choice at the moment. The last thing she wanted to do was end up back in the hospital over something as minor as straining too hard to get up.

Daisy rolled her eyes, "Only if you will go rest after we see about this…" she trailed off waiting for Annie to agree.

It was Annie's turn to roll her eyes now, "Okay," she agreed reluctantly. She knew she needed to rest but how could she sleep when everything was going on? Her nanny from years ago was asleep in the interview room, memories of her father were constantly running through her head, and to top it all off, the psycho that was stalking her had abducted a woman and her four year old daughter and if anything went wrong with the plan tomorrow they would very likely end up dead. So no, Annie was pretty sure sleep wasn't going to come no matter how tired she was.

Annie winced slightly as Daisy helped her up and then Micah slowly led them back to where Brian Bouffton was listening intently to a conversation between two men. Bouff automatically turned the speakers up when Daisy, Annie, and Micah walked up. "What's going on Bouff?" Annie asked as he held a finger up to silence her.

On the speakers Annie could hear the voice of her stalker apparently talking to his father. "So you said they picked up the addict that said she saw you come out of that girl's apartment fifteen years ago?"

"Yes. Picked her up early this morning is what my source says. I wonder if she even remembers what really happened. I doubt it, as strung out as she is now," the other voice said.

"Yea, you're probably right. Can't she clear you for that though?" the first voice spoke again.

"She can tell them the truth but I doubt it matters much now. They aren't gonna clear me for that after what we have done now."

"Yea, if they only knew half of what you and daddy Frost had done way back when, the last thing they would be worried about is the murder of some low life bitch like Hendrix."

"Yes, but the world will never know of the things William and I were a part of. We were very good at what we done. We always covered our tracks well. You know, William was never scared to risk anything. When we were on a job and trying to catch someone that was a potential threat to us, he was always doing these death defying stunts. He would get the target in his sights and he wouldn't stop until he had them…much like his daughter when she is chasing down a fugitive. I am glad she at least got that from her old man. The only problem is that as bad as she may want to, she can't let herself finish them off when she does catch them, unless of course they give her a good reason. I bet that is the toughest part of her job, not being able to pull the trigger no matter how bad you may want to."

The younger man laughed, "Yea, maybe one day we can convince her to give in. If not, this child she is carrying should have all of the same qualities, and we can raise it the way we want. Teach it to give in to the want and desire that is in it's blood."

"Yes son, just don't forget about the big picture here. Sometimes you get ahead of yourself. You get obsessed with something, or someone, and forget that we always must be extremely careful. We must cover our tracks well, like William and I did long ago. Otherwise, we will end up with a needle in our arm or a bullet in our chest."

The two men went silent for a few minutes and then the car's engine shut off followed by the sound of two doors being opened and then closed. Annie stood in silence for a long time, unable to move or speak. Daisy could tell that she was in deep thought by the blank look on her face. Finally, after a solid minute of silence, she spoke softly but surely, "They know we're listening."

Daisy furrowed her brows, "How?"

Annie shook her head slowly, "I don't know…but they know. I can feel it in my gut." Annie was silent for a few seconds and after a questionable look from Daisy, Bouff, and especially Micah, she explained herself further. "Did they give any information about what they are planning or when they are planning it before we got here? Anything that may help us locate them? Hell, anything about where they were going to eat dinner at?" Annie asked Bouff.

He shook his head, "Now that you mention it, no. They really didn't say much at all before you got in here. Just that you guys picked up a Jessica Harmon. Everything else was pretty much small talk…sports, music, that kind of stuff. I just sent Micah after you two in case it got interesting."

Annie nodded, "They didn't give us anything. Vasquez said he knew that Harmon had been picked up from a source…why not give his son the name of that source? He never admitted to or denied murdering Mary Hendrix. All they talked about was things that were aimed at me. Things to make me think that I am just like my father in more ways than one. Things that they have planned for this baby. What I don't understand is why? Why the hell do they want us to hear all of this? Are they playing with us?" Annie shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was starting to feel a little more pain in her stomach and she knew it was from the stress of the conversation she had just witnessed.

"If you're right, that's exactly what they are doing…but why? If what they really want is you or the baby and they know we are listening to them then they have to know that we are definitely going to step our guard up. It sounds to me like they are toying with you. They are purposely trying to stress you out and according to what we told Esperanza to report back to Diablo, your pregnancy is just hanging on by a thread. If they are so adamant about getting this baby you would think they would back off some at least until you made it out of the woods," Daisy suggested.

Annie thought for another minute, "Maybe that's not what they are after at all. Maybe we are overlooking something. This whole time we have been so focused on Diablo targeting me, that we haven't been concentrating enough on Juan."

Daisy lifter her brows, "Could be, but Diablo is no doubt obsessed with you…and possibly with this baby. His father may have a bigger plan, but if at all possible Diablo is going grab you at his first chance."

Bouff nodded, "Annie, these guys sound pretty rough. And the more I think about it, the more I have to agree with you. I think they may know that we are listening. They drove around last night for hours either not talking at all or just making enough small talk to keep me awake. I think they are playing with us."

Annie finally shook her head and squeezed Bouff on the shoulder, "Thanks for working so hard on this. I really appreciate it…and if you don't mind…everything you just heard, you didn't hear."

Bouff nodded understandingly, "You got it. Just remember me at Christmas!" he smiled.

The three women made their way back to the bullpen with a recording of the conversation they had just heard between Vasquez junior and senior. Annie winced again as she lowered herself into her chair, Daisy immediately rushing to her side to assist her. "I got it Daisy…" she said a little more sharply than she intended.

Daisy just looked at her suspiciously. She knew how bad the conversation between the two men must have bothered Annie. Even if they knew the marshals were listening in, it didn't keep the comments about her father and her baby from stinging Annie any less. Plus Daisy knew how hard it must be for Annie to open her past up to all of her coworkers after working so desperately for years to keep it covered up, all because she didn't want people associating her with her father.

Jimmy walked up quickly when he seen Annie back at her desk, "Where have you been?"

Annie handed him the recording, "Bouff had something," was all she said.

Jimmy looked at her disapprovingly, "Annie, you're suppose to stay down as much as possible…do you remember that?"

Annie rolled her eyes, anger flooding through her. She was already upset and the last thing she needed right now was for Jimmy to get on her case. She was being careful and taking it easy. That should be enough for him.

Before Annie could blow up Daisy caught Jimmy's attention and gave him a look that said 'back off'. He quickly headed her advice and looked down to what Annie had handed him, "What's this?" he asked, all the irritation gone from his voice.

"Just listen to it…" she huffed. "We will see if you come to the same conclusion I did."

He nodded slightly and plugged the small device into his computer. He plugged his earphones in and put them in his ears so that he could hear better. His anger was evident as the conversation went on. When it was over he all but jerked the ear phones out of his ears, "The son of bitches are playing with us," he stated surely.

She nodded, "That's what I think to."

Jimmy slammed his hand down on his desk, drawing the attention of Daisy, Micah, and a few other marshals that were crossing through the bullpen. "Dammit…if that's the case we are right back at square one."

Annie nodded in agreement. "But what the hell's their motive? What are they really after?"

Jimmy thought for a minute, "You know…they aren't making any sense. Diablo is obviously obsessed with you, but his father seems to have something different on his mind. It could be a revenge thing. After all of these years Vasquez realizes that your father wasn't as good of a friend to him as he thought, and now he wants revenge. He doesn't know where William Frost is so he decides his daughter is the next best thing. You know Annie…maybe they are trying to flush him out."

Annie looked at him a little uncomfortably, "Get to him by getting to me? I don't know Jimmy. I haven't seen my father in fifteen years so what would make Vasquez think he could draw him out by coming after me?"

Jimmy shrugged, "Maybe Vasquez assumes your father is keeping tabs on you. And maybe Vasquez thinks he can draw him out by threatening you or by coming after you. Vasquez is a dangerous man, and if any of what he told his son is true, your father knows that better than anybody."

Annie shook her head after thinking for a moment, "It just doesn't make any sense though. Jimmy, Diablo has been stalking me for three years…maybe more. I don't understand why he never made a move before he did."

"Boots, like I said, Diablo is clearly obsessed with you. I think he wants you for himself, and if the opportunity arises, he will have you," Jimmy said seriously. "As far as the baby goes," he continued, "I don't really think he cares about it. I think he is just using it to play with you. To try and make you break. They know exactly what buttons they can push to get to you and that is what they are trying to do."

Annie was silent for a long time. Maybe Jimmy was right. Maybe they were trying to draw her father out. What she couldn't figure out was why. Revenge just didn't seem to fit. Juan had been locked up for a decade and a half and not one time had he mentioned the name William Frost to anyone. Maybe it was about money. Apparently Juan had some stashed somewhere while he was in prison because him and his son didn't seem to be running too short on funds right now. But maybe her father and Vasquez had stashed more somewhere. That was the only thing that Annie could think of that made any sense at all. If Juan could find William, he might find William's stash.

Annie's phone buzzed on her desk, signaling she had a new text. 'They are back on the move' Bouff had sent.

Annie looked to Jimmy, "Bouff just text…they are on the move again."

Jimmy got up, "I will go check it out."

"Jimmy, I'm coming too…" she struggled to get out of the chair, fighting through the painful burn in her stomach.

Jimmy jumped to her aide, "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?" he asked.

She opted not to answer since every comment that popped in her head would probably piss him off. Instead she half rolled her eyes as she walked off.

A few minutes later they were standing behind Bouff listening in to the two men once again. "So you think we need to go public?" Diablo asked.

"Oh yea…I think we should shake things up a bit. I'm tired of laying low. We just have to be careful. Cover our tracks." Juan replied.

"So what are you thinking? Find another blue eyed blonde victim and leave her in front of the news station?"

Juan laughed, "That would be something else. But it may also get us caught. We need another Annie Frost look alike, but instead of dumping her somewhere, we just send a tape to the news station. Maybe to every news station around. We can threaten her over the air…that oughta rattle her cage a little."

Now Diablo laughed, "Oh yea…it will shake her up good. You know, I know where a few look alikes are…and if we don't have to worry about their job and personality matching up we should be able to find someone who resembles her even more."

I already have the perfect person in mind. She runs at North side Park every day around 3:30 when she gets out of school. She is just a meek teacher but she looks more like Frost than any other woman we have targeted. We will grab her on her run tomorrow."

"But, that's when Annie's doctor appointment is. Are we skipping out on that?" Diablo asked.

"We can't keep sending the woman in to spy on them. Sooner or later they are going to notice her, if they haven't already."

"I guess you're right. I just like to keep tabs on how she is doing. I like to know what her state of mind is and see how the pregnancy is going," Diablo said.

"Get it together Willy, you need to stop worrying about the health of this broad. Hell, if we ever get our hands on her she is just going to fight until we kill her. Don't you understand that? She wants you dead or in a cell. And that's the only way she will ever want you. You need to get that through your thick damn skull."

All was silent for a few minutes. Only breathing could be heard over the speakers. Finally Diablo spoke quietly, "If that child makes it to birth…it will be mine. I will make sure of that."

Juan snickered again, "Willy, what the hell are you planning on doing with a baby? Assuming you can get your hands on it, do you really think you are capable of raising it. You don't know anything about kids. You are going to have all you need once we are finished here. Don't push your luck and forget about this stupid baby. Chances are, she will never carry it to term anyways. She is having too many problems already and as hard as we are pushing her, the stress is going to cause her to lose it before anyone can look at her and tell she's pregnant."

Neither one of the men spoke again. Finally the car engine was turned off and the doors were opened and shut, signaling that the two men were gone for now. Annie and Jimmy looked at each other, both a little confused. "Still think they know we are listening?" she asked him?

Jimmy shrugged, "Could be a setup. Something tells me that the last part of that conversation was real though."

Annie nodded, "Yea, it sounded that way to me too."

"Anything happen before we got here?" Jimmy asked Bouff.

"Not really. Vasquez just told his son that maybe they should think of a way to make some kind of public threat. Then things pretty much went silent until you walked in."

"Thanks Bouff…call me again if there is anymore movement," Annie said as she as Jimmy turned and walked away.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, "Well, so much for our plan tomorrow."

"I don't know…it just doesn't seem right that they choose to follow us everywhere and then all of a sudden they don't…" she suddenly trailed off. "Jimmy…what about Esperanza and her daughter? We promised her we would help them…" Annie stopped in the hall and leaned up against the wall as she felt her knees go weak when she thought about what might happen, or have happened, to them.

Jimmy stood in front of her ready to catch her if he needed to. "Annie, this isn't anyone's fault. We tried…we did everything we could. And maybe they don't know that she planted that bug. Maybe she is still safe and we will find her and her kid. We are going to catch them Annie…you have to keep believing that. We are going to surround that park tomorrow and if they show up they're done."

Annie leaned her head back against the wall. "If they show…fat chance," she whispered. "Nothing has went our way so far. What makes you think tomorrow will be any different?"

Jimmy pulled her into a hug and just held her for a long time. Finally she pulled away, "Let's go check in with Luke and Marco," she said, the weakness and doubt gone from her voice. "Harmon may be awake too."

Jimmy nodded. He was worried about her but he tried not to show it. It felt as if she was shutting herself off from him but in a way he expected that. With everything going on at the moment, and all of her past being thrown in her face, Jimmy knew that she would get like this. She would try to make things impersonal, and in order to do that she needed to keep him at a distance. He decided to keep his eye on her and let her deal with this how she needed to. There wasn't much more he could do right now without upsetting her, and that was the last thing she needed. He sighed as he followed her back into the bullpen. This case needed to be over, before it destroyed her completely.

**Please review…and I will try and get the next chapter up quicker!**


	19. Chapter 19

**First of all I want to sincerely thank you all for the many reviews. I can't believe how many people are reading and enjoying this. I am so sorry it has taken so long to get this chap posted but like I said, I don't have many spare moments in the day. I want to dedicate this chapter to Chemo RN and her patients! I am so moved that your group is reading this story and that it is helping brighten their days. I hope to keep entertaining you all for a long time! Again, thank you so much, you all have been so inspiring. Okay…on with the chapter!**

Chapter 19

Annie made her way back into the bullpen. She could feel Jimmy behind her more than she could hear him. She knew he was worried but she was very thankful that he was backing off. Sometimes she forgot how well he understood her. This was just one more thing that reminded her of how painful it would be if Jimmy ever decided he didn't want to be with her anymore. She shook the insecurity from her thoughts, there was no time for it right now. "Is Harmon awake?" Annie asked Ramirez who was suppose to be keeping an eye on her.

"I'll check again…she wasn't a few minutes ago," he said as he hurried off to the interview room.

Just then Luke and Marco walked back in the front doors with a very unhappy man in tow. "Meet Joey Ramos," Marco said to Annie and Jimmy who were sitting at their desks. "He has some interesting information on our fugitive."

Annie's eyes lit up, "What is it, what do you know?"

Ramos smiled unsettlingly, "Don't get your hopes up sweet pea…it's probably nothing that is going to help you find him now. But I have an idea on how he use to do business."

Annie rolled her eyes at the nick name Ramos had used on her. She had never been very keen on nick names. She didn't mind 'Boots' so much but anything else just seemed to rub her the wrong way. "Take him to the conference room guys. We will be in there in a few minutes."

Ramirez came back into the bull pen, "Harmon's awake," he told them.

Jimmy eyed Annie, "Who do you wanna talk to first…sweet pea?" he smiled.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't start with me," she rolled her eyes. She thought for a moment, "Let's start with Harmon. She may be back out soon or she may start having withdraws from whatever drugs she's been on, so we could only have a short timeline there. Tell Marco we'll be in when we are finished. If they need to order some food or something they can."

"Speaking of food…" Jimmy trailed off looking at her questioningly.

"I couldn't eat right now if I tried Jimmy, my stomach's in knots…I promise I will try as soon as we're done with Harmon," she added quickly.

Jimmy nodded. She needed to eat but he understood. He helped her up and they headed for the interview room, Jimmy stopping off and telling the guys what was going on. When they entered they found Jessica Harmon even more fidgety than before. "Where the hell am I?" she asked looking around.

"You don't remember talking to us before?" Annie asked as she eased into her seat.

Jessica thought for a long moment before slightly nodding, "You…you were asking about Juan Vasquez…right?"

Annie nodded, glancing over at Jimmy as he sat down beside her. She wondered if Jessica remembered making the connection with her earlier. Jessica's next statement answered that question. "What did you say your name was again?…I think I already know but my mind could be playing tricks on me. It does that from time to time"

"I never said," Annie answered. "You never asked," she added, still with no emotion.

Jessica blinked and just stared at her for a minute, "Is your name Annie?" she asked quietly. "I remember you asking something about William Frost, and you just look so familiar."

Annie nodded, "Now Jess, I need you to tell me what happened fifteen years ago," she said, trying to avoid any unnecessary conversation. Jessica had been Annie's security blanket for almost four years. She had helped her with homework, went school shopping with her, and most importantly, she had explained the facts of life to Annie. She had had the period and the sex talk with her, because Lord knows her father was never going to. Then Jess had taken her to the store and showed her which pads and tampons to buy and had explained how to use them. Annie remembered how embarrassed she felt but when she was twelve and the big moment finally came, she was so relieved that Jess had taken the time to explain everything to her. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if she hadn't.

Jessica finally spoke, pulling Annie's thoughts back into the present. "I hated Juan. I use to hang out with him and William, back when…" she trailed off looking at Annie.

"Back when you babysat for my father?" Annie asked, again with no emotion.

Jessica nodded, not making eye contact for a moment. "Juan kept trying to get me to try some stuff. I had never really been into drugs, and William kept telling me not to take any. He said he knew what they would do to me if I wasn't careful. But eventually, I gave in. At first it was just a little here and there. But then I started doing more and more and before I knew it I couldn't go long without needing more. I kept telling myself that I wasn't hooked, and that I could quit anytime, but it was a lie. I hid it from everyone for a while, except from Juan who was supplying me, but after I started missing shifts at the restaurant where I worked and I was late or just never showed up when I was suppose to keep you, people started getting suspicious. Your dad caught on pretty quick. He told me to get straight or that I was fired. I tried Annie, I really did. But I was too far gone. I wish I had listened to William and never tried any of it. But what's done is done. After I lost my job, and William told me I couldn't keep you anymore, I started doing whatever I had to in order to get my hands on more drugs. It got so bad that I started dealing for Juan so that he would keep supplying me. Then he called me one day. He told me to say that I seen William come out of Mary Hendrix's apartment that night. I told him that I didn't want to. I told him I wanted to get help. I knew the drugs had taken over my life and were slowly killing me and I wanted out. He told me that if I didn't say what he wanted, that I would get the same thing that Mary was about to," Jessica stopped for a minute. She was getting worked up and she had to pause to keep from completely loosing it.

Annie nodded, "So Juan wanted you to lie and say that you seen William leave that apartment?"

Jessica shrugged, "I guess it was a lie. I was never really there. But I decided to say it was Juan. I knew he would either get locked up, or kill me. And one way or another, I wouldn't have to live like that anymore." She let out a small laugh, "Look at me now…" she shook her head. She was ashamed of herself and Annie could tell.

"So you never saw anyone come out of Hendrix's apartment?" Jimmy asked.

Jessica shook her head, "But he killed Mary. I'm sure of it."

Annie shook her head, "How do you know it was him? Is there any way it could have been William?"

Jessica shook her head, "Your father was a lot of things, but a cold blooded murderer is not one of them. He fired me because he didn't want his daughter around the kind of life I was living. Does that sound like someone that would murder a woman that was carrying his child?"

Annie froze. She wasn't expecting Jessica to say that. Jimmy noticed Annie's hesitation. "You told the police that Mary was pregnant with Juan's baby," Jimmy stated.

Jessica nodded, "I acted like Mary had told me that her and Juan were having an affair and that is why he probably killed her…because he got her pregnant and he didn't want his wife to find out. I was just trying to protect William, and it worked. They believed me. What I couldn't ever figure out is why Juan didn't deny any of it. It just doesn't make any sense."

"He didn't want my father to know that he was trying to frame him," Annie said quietly.

Jimmy nodded and then looked back to Jessica, "Is there anything else you can remember?"

Jessica shook her head, "I wish I knew something that would help you more."

"You've helped clear some things up, and we appreciate that," Jimmy said. "We can also help get you into a rehab program if you are serious about getting clean."

Jessica looked at him shamefully, "I don't know if I would make it. I've tried time after time, and I always end up right back where I started."

Annie looked at her seriously, "Jess, you helped me a long time ago. Let us help you now. Please give rehab one more chance, and I promise you will have a support system this time. That's what you were missing before. Please Jess…help me help you."

Jimmy looked at Annie, wishing she wouldn't try to take this on but understanding why she felt like she needed to. If everything else wasn't going on in her life right now Jimmy would be proud of her, but at the moment she just had too much on her plate.

Jess finally smiled and nodded, "I guess I can give it a shot…but no promises."

Annie gave her a slight nod. "Okay, I will see if I can get it set up." Annie looked to Jimmy as she pushed away from the table and stood, not showing any sign of the pain she felt throughout her stomach.

"Annie," Jessica said quietly, "I'm sorry…for how I done you. I never meant to run out on you like that, and if I could do it all over…"

Annie cut her off, "I know," was all she said before she exited the room. She leaned up against the wall as Jimmy closed the door behind them. She was holding her emotions in by a thread, and Jimmy knew it.

"You okay Boots?" he asked as he leaned up against her.

She nodded, opting to stay silent in fear of losing it if she didn't.

"You know, it's okay if you're not," Jimmy said leaning into her.

She shook her head, "Don't Jimmy. I'm fine, I just need a minute to wrap my head around all of this." She turned away from him, hiding the tears that were threatening to fall. She ran her hand through her hair and glanced up towards the ceiling, willing herself not to cry.

Jimmy stepped closer to her from behind. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the back of her head. She tensed at first, but then he felt her relax into him. He didn't say a word, knowing she would talk if she wanted to.

She didn't. She just leaned into him and let him hold her. She felt the first tear slide down her cheek as she closed her eyes. Jimmy felt it hit his arm, and he tightened his hold on her a little. He was thankful for the privacy of the short hallway and he was thankful that Annie was letting him be there for her. Suddenly he felt her tense. He was alarmed immediately because he knew that she was in pain. He held her up as her knees buckled and she moaned loudly. He looked around, but there was no bench in the hall. "Lean back on me Annie, I'm gonna set you down on the floor."

She shook her head, "No Jimmy…just…wait. Don't move," she pleaded holding her hand out to her side signaling for him to be still. Annie closed her eyes against the pain.

"How bad is it?" Jimmy asked.

Annie took a few breaths before speaking quietly, "It's not that bad, it just surprised me and what hurt so much is when I tensed up. If I stay relaxed it's not so bad."

Jimmy sighed in relief, "So you don't think it's your ovary again?"

She shook her head, trying to breath and relax through the pain, "No, it's definitely not the ovary. It's the endo pain again." She didn't bother telling him she had been hurting some for a while. There was really no sense in worrying him with it. There was nothing anyone could do to make it stop and Jimmy would have just insisted on her going to lay down, which wouldn't have done any good either.

"This is probably caused from stress…I should have never let you go in there," Jimmy said shaking his head. It seemed like every time Annie was in a really stressful situation or conversation, this was always the end result. The problem was, Jimmy fighting with her over not going in that room and talking to Jessica Harmon would have probably been just as stressful. It was a lose lose situation.

"I'm fine Jimmy. Maya just said to stay relaxed and I am doing that. Now…I think I can make it to my desk if you will let me go." Annie sounded a little cold. It bothered her when Jimmy used phrases such as 'never let you go in there'. If he really thought that he could control her he had another thing coming. She knew deep down that he was only trying to protect her and the baby, but the phrases like that never went unnoticed.

He felt her coldness and loosened his grip, immediately realizing his mistake. "Annie, I didn't mean anything…"

"I know," she cut him off. "I keep trying to tell myself that." She pushed herself up off of him, wincing as she did. She headed to her desk without stopping, afraid that if she did she wouldn't be able to make herself move again. The pain was steadily worsening, something she would rather keep to herself but she knew that would be close to impossible with Jimmy hovering over her like she knew he would. However, to her surprise, instead of following her he watched her walk slowly to her desk and then he turned to the conference room where Marco and Luke were still waiting with Joey Ramos.

Annie sat down at her desk and closed her eyes, glad to have a chance to work through the pain by herself. She leaned forward with her elbows on the table and rested her head in her hands. She took several breaths, willing herself to relax as her stomach ached relentlessly. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was constant, and it was just bad enough to cause a hint of nausea that Annie knew would only worsen. She concentrated on her breathing, hoping and praying that the nausea would go away. Finally Daisy came around the corner and immediately noticed Annie's state. "Hey…you okay?" she asked as she made her way over.

Annie nodded and then shook her head, "I don't know," she whispered honestly. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Daisy nodded, grabbing the closest trash can. "It's okay. Don't try to move. Just see if you can get through it. You want me to get Jimmy?"

Annie shook her head. However, Jimmy had been keeping an eye on her from the conference room and when he seen Daisy hand her the trash can he couldn't keep himself from going to her any longer.

"How you doing?" he asked as he squatted down beside her.

Annie shook her head, "I've been better," she admitted quietly. "Ramos give you anything?"

Jimmy shook his head, amazed that she was still thinking about the case. "Not sure. I wasn't really paying much attention."

Annie rolled her eyes a little, "Jimmy, one of us has to stay on top of this. I can't really do that at the moment, so that leaves you. I'm gonna be fine. Now please, get back in there and take care of things. Daisy can stay with me, and she can come get you if things get worse."

He watched her a moment, contemplating what he should do. He wanted to stay with her and forget about everything and everyone else. But he knew Annie was right. One of them needed to stay in charge and stay focused. There was a lot at stake at the moment, including the life of a four year old little girl. Any information, no matter how irrelevant it seemed, could help find Diablo and Juan Vasquez. He also knew that there was really nothing he could do for Annie except hold her hand, and Annie wasn't really the hand holding type. He finally nodded, "Okay, but send her to get me if you get worse. There is no sense in taking a chance here Annie. If you think it could be anything besides the endometriosis, we need to at least call Maya and see what we should do."

Annie nodded. It wasn't anything else. This was a pain she knew all too well. It was the same pain that she had felt long ago, right before the doctors had decided she needed surgery. The only difference was now there was nothing the doctors could do. At least not for another seven and a half months. She just prayed she had the strength to make it that long.

Daisy leaned against Annie's desk, watching her intently. "You want anything? Water…crackers?"

Annie shook her head. What she wanted was to stop hurting. What she wanted was to go into that room with Jimmy and hear what Ramos had to say. What she wanted was to do her job. She sighed loudly, "Dammit, this is ridiculous," she exclaimed, the pain finally starting to get to her.

"Is it worse?" Daisy asked.

"No…" she sat back rolling her eyes up and focusing on the ceiling, "just unrelenting." Suddenly Annie leaned forward and grabbed for the trash can. The nausea hit her so suddenly this time that she was completely unprepared for it. She grabbed at her stomach as the pain from the sudden movement coursed throughout her body. She wretched, trying not to scream out every time her stomach tightened. She moan slash growled after every heave, shutting her eyes tightly as if it would help.

Daisy felt sorry for her, but there was nothing she could do to help except grab a cool wet cloth for her when she was done. Daisy handed her the cloth, "You gonna make it?"

Annie kept her head down, unable to speak at the moment. She just slightly nodded and held her stomach, begging for the pain to ease. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was actually about a minute, the pain started to let up. She took a few deep slow breaths and then leaned up slowly. She was still hurting, but not quite as bad. "Yea, I'm gonna make it."

Daisy smiled, "Glad to hear it. You had me worried for a sec."

Annie looked around the bullpen, thankful that her and Daisy were alone. It seemed like the only break she was catching throughout all of this is that no one she worked with, outside of her team anyways, had witnessed any of these attacks. Sooner or later though, she knew her luck would run out. She glanced through the glass walls of the conference room and could see Jimmy watching her. She gave him a little nod to let him know she was feeling better for the moment, and even from a distance she was sure she could see the relief on his face.

"He's worried," Daisy smiled. "I think we all are, he just doesn't handle it so well."

Annie nodded, "Yea, he gets pretty carried away."

Daisy shrugged, "When he watches you hurt like that, I think he hurts too. He cant stand that there is nothing he can do. He just gets frustrated."

"I try to remember that, and most of the time I try to cut him some slack. But it seems like when he gets frustrated it makes it worse. It's like his nerves rub off on me and cause me to tense up more…that sounds stupid," Annie smiled shaking her head.

"No, it makes perfect sense. I think he realizes it though. I think that's why he left you with me instead of staying with you himself."

Just then Jimmy walked out of the conference room rubbing the back of his neck. "Did you get anything?" Annie asked quickly.

"Not really. Nothing that's gonna help…how are you?" he asked.

"Better…what did he say?" she responded.

He tried not to get irritated with her. He wished that she would just forget about this case and concentrate on staying pain free for a while, but he knew that was too much to hope for. "That Juan would always request running routes to and from the Mexican border. He said he liked the scenery better than any of the northern routes. Ramos had a pretty good idea what was going on after a couple years, and when he confronted Juan about it he denied it. That is until Ramos had his truck and trailer washed out one day when Juan wasn't in, and the guy doing the washing found a hidden storage compartment up under the trailer. When Ramos confronted him about it this time, Juan offered him a good chunk of hush money…and of course Ramos accepted."

Daisy furrowed her brows, "It took them two years to notice a hidden compartment?" she asked skeptically.

Jimmy nodded, "Ramos said Juan had always insisted on servicing and washing his own ride. That alone should have tipped Ramos off, but he claims he was too busy to really think about it."

Daisy shook her head again, "Does he realize we can still bust him on conspiracy and for being an accessory before and after the face, and for obstruction, hell, there's a whole list of things?"

Jimmy nodded, "That was his condition, he wanted immunity. We didn't know what he knew so we had to agree to it. He didn't give us much of a choice."

Annie still looked puzzled, "So why is he talking now? Why not years ago or not at all?"

"He says he doesn't have anything to lose or gain now. His business tanked when Juan was busted. Apparently the only money Ramos was clearing was the money Juan was bringing in. The other trucks were barely paying for themselves and after Juan went away Ramos shut down the business before he lost his ass," Jimmy explained.

"So do we think Ramos still has any ties with Vasquez…or if he ever knew who my father was and that he was helping Juan?" Annie asked, a little uncomfortable with the last part of her question.

Jimmy shrugged, "I don't think he has had any communications with Juan since he went to prison. And he mentioned that he knew Juan had an accomplice, someone that helped him smuggle the drugs he was transporting. But when I asked who that was he said he didn't know. He never met anyone that worked with Juan on his little side jobs. He just received a hefty payment once a month as long as he agreed to keep his mouth shut."

Annie looked disgusted. She hated that her father was involved in all of this. She never would understand why he had chosen the life that he did, but she hated that he had. It had haunted her since she was a little girl, and even though she had made a life for herself and was the successful leader of her own elite team it didn't matter. She still had a fugitive for a father and that skeleton was about to come out of the closet whether she liked it or not. Everyone she worked with and worked for was about to find out the one thing she had worked so hard to keep secret. She just hoped that she had proven herself enough times in the past that this wouldn't be held against her in the future.

She shifted a little in her chair, the cramping pain in her stomach still gripping her every now and then. "If you're sure he isn't still communicating with Vasquez cut him loose. It doesn't sound like he can help us. But tell him if Vasquez ever contacts him and we are not the first call he makes, his immunity goes out the window and we will throw the book at him on everything we can," Annie said coldly.

Jimmy nodded. He had already told him everything that Annie had just said, promising that the marshals service would be keeping a close tab on him until the two fugitives were caught.

After a few minutes Jimmy sat back down at his desk. "Annie, you need to try and eat. I know I told you I would back off, but you haven't ate since this morning and it's…almost four," he said looking at his watch.

Annie knew he was right, she just didn't feel like she could hold anything down. Her stomach was still in knots, and she was still in a moderate amount of pain that she was hiding pretty well at the moment. "I know Jimmy. I'm just not sure that whatever I do get down is going to stay there for very long."

Jimmy sighed unhappily. "Maybe you will feel better if you try something…some crackers or something."

Annie closed her eyes, trying not to let her frustration be seen. "Please, just try," Jimmy begged.

"Dammit Jimmy, I'm not hungry. If I eat right now I will puke," Annie said angrily, feeling the nausea start to return at the thought of any kind of food.

Jimmy got up and walked away. She could tell he was angry but she couldn't help it. She had tried to tell him to back off. She of all people knew she needed to eat, if not for her sake then for the baby's. But she also knew she would get sick at the sight of food right now. And the pain she had experienced a little while ago when she had gotten sick was something she hoped she never felt again.

Daisy saw Jimmy stalk away from Annie's desk and after a few minutes she followed him. She found him leaned up outside the building just staring off into space. "What's up Cowboy?"

He shook his head without even looking at her. "It's just like no matter what I say or do, it's wrong. I don't know how to be there for her without turnin everything into a fight."

Daisy nodded knowingly. "Jimmy, she is hurting. Constantly. That's why she's so irritable. She doesn't wanna tell you cause she doesn't want you to worry."

"I know. I can tell when she's in pain. She thinks she hides it well, and I guess she does from everyone else. But I can read her like a book." He paused, finally looking at Daisy, "She hasn't ate since early this morning, and that's what worries me the most. I know there is nothing I can do to stop the pain, and that kills me. But if she wont even try to eat or drink she is going to be weak and dehydrated and end up right back in the hospital. She thinks all that I'm worried about is the baby, but that's not true. To tell you the truth Daisy, I am almost ready for things to go back the way they were before there was a baby…and I hate that I feel that way," he whispered the last part.

"I know Jimmy. No one said this was gonna be easy. But most things worth having aren't. You guys are going to get through this. And hopefully in seven months or so you will have a healthy baby to show off. And then you are going to look back and remember this conversation, and you will know that I am right. Just hang in there, I know it's rough right now…and it could get worse before it gets better. But it will get better. All you can do right now is be there for her the best that you can. And let the rest of us be there for both of you. Annie is trying, I promise she is. But right now she is at the end of her rope. If she says she doesn't feel like eating, then just let her be. She will eat when she feels up to it. And if she bites your head off over something, just shake it off and forget about it. She is going to get worse about that over the next few months. I have heard that pregnant women are very hormonal and have a lot of mood swings. You just gotta let it go in one ear and out the other." Daisy smiled as she said the last part.

Jimmy nodded and sighed again. "Yea, your right. It's just hard. Annie and I are both so stubborn. I am trying not to butt heads with her too much right now, but I'm havin a hard time."

Daisy smiled, "Maybe she needs to butt heads. I think you should try and keep things as normal as possible. Don't be a different person because you don't wanna upset her. She needs you Jimmy. She doesn't need you to try and be someone else. She needs you to be you. And she needs to back off this case. I think it's causing her too much stress and it's aggravating the pain she is already feeling."

Jimmy nodded, "I completely agree. I know she feels like she needs to work, and she probably does, but this case is pulling her under. There is just no way she is going to back off right now though. Especially as long as the doctor says the pain isn't affecting the baby. Annie doesn't care to hurt, as long as the baby is okay."

"If she keeps hurting like this I don't understand how it can't affect the baby. I guess the doctor knows more about it than us, but it just doesn't seem like this kind of pain would be okay," Daisy said.

Jimmy shrugged, "Maybe I should talk to Maya and ask her just how bad it has to get before the baby is affected. She did tell Annie she needed to lay down if she started hurting, but Annie argues that it doesn't help to lay down."

They walked back into the building and didn't find Annie at her desk. "I'll check the bathroom," Daisy said as she hurried towards the ladies restroom.

Sure enough, as soon as she walked in she seen Annie leaned up against the sink. "You get sick again?"

Annie shook her head, "I thought I was going to…but it was a false alarm." She took a few breaths, "I snapped at Jimmy…again."

Daisy smiled, "He's okay. Don't worry bout him."

Annie straightened up, "I guess I should go try and cram some crackers down. Maybe Jimmy is right and it will help…but I doubt it."

Daisy followed her out and into the lounge. "Sit," she demanded. Annie did as she was told, feeling to tired to argue much.

Daisy grabbed a water and one package of crackers, "Let's start small," she said as she sat both items in front of Annie.

"Thanks," she said as she opened the water and took a small sip. She ate the crackers and took another drink.

"More?" Daisy asked.

"How about a yogurt?" Annie said.

"Comin right up," Daisy smiled as she grabbed a yogurt and a spoon quickly.

After Annie finished the yogurt off and drank some more of the water she looked over to see Jimmy standing in the doorway. "Can you fill Daisy in on Jess and have her and the others make some arrangements to put her in a motel for the night and we will get her into a treatment center in the morning as long as she is still willing? Tell her to call us if she needs anything at all."

Jimmy nodded, walking with Daisy to her desk and explaining the situation. He was back within five minutes, "Now what?" he asked.

"Now you and I are off to get some rest. I'm tired of the bunks so can you please take me home?" she asked sincerely.

"How about we go to a hotel instead? That way there is a significantly lower chance that you will be in any danger," Jimmy suggested.

Annie nodded, "Okay…but you're paying."

He laughed, "I wouldn't have it any other way," he said as he helped her up. "We can call Daisy on the way and let her know where we'll be. I'm ready to get out of here," he said, leading her out the back way so they could go out to the closed in parking garage. He didn't want to take any chances that Diablo or Vasquez would see them leave.

**Well, there is Chapter 19...sorry it took so long to get it up and I promise I will work on chapter 20 every chance I get. I am not even going to try and tell you when it will be posted but you all should at least expect to wait a week. I apologize again, but I am so busy. Hang in there and I will work as hard and as fast as I can!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Surprise Surprise…I was off work for a little while this morning and I have stayed up until midnight just so I could get you guys this chapter. You have all been so great to review and you have inspired me to get this chapter wrote so here you go. I was going to wait a few days on posting it, but I just couldn't help myself. Don't expect the next chap up this fast though! Things get really busy for me again tomorrow and will more than likely stay that way most of next week!**

**Happy reading and please read this chap responsibly…it gets a little borderline on the rating later on!**

Chapter 20

Jimmy finally pulled into the hotel across town. He had taken several twists and turns in the hopes that if someone was trying to follow he had lost them. Annie had fallen asleep within five minutes of leaving the office. He knew that she had been tired, but he kicked himself when he realized just how exhausted she really was.

They had taken one of the Expeditions instead of Annie's Escalade, in hopes that if Diablo or Vasquez was watching they may not recognize them. Now Jimmy pulled the Ford right up to the front door while he ran in and grabbed the key to the room he had called ahead and booked. He pulled his cell out of his pocket as he exited the lobby. He decided now was a good time to see if he could talk to Maya for a minute.

She answered on the second ring. "Hey, what's up?" she asked with a hint of worry.

Jimmy smiled, "I'm just needing some reassurance Maya. I don't wanna bother you but I'm just worried, probably over nothing."

"You're not bothering me. What is it?" she was talking unusually quiet.

"Maya, is this a bad time? You can call me back later," he said.

"No it's fine. Jim and I just came by Natalie's to visit for a bit. I didn't know if she was aware of…your situation, so I'm in the bathroom."

Jimmy smiled, "I see. I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just a little concerned with a few things but you can call me back when it's more convenient to talk."

"Jimmy, tell me what you are worried about. All I have to say is that I was talking to a patient. It's no big deal," she told him. He could hear the smile in her voice.

"Well, like I said, it's probably nothing. Annie started hurting pretty badly today. It was right after we interviewed a potential witness and I'm afraid the stress of this case is what is making her hurt so much. She assured me that the pain was from the endometriosis, and I believe her. But, I don't know, I guess I just feel like it can't be good for Annie or the baby to hurt like that."

Maya sighed a little. "Well, I definitely don't like the fact that she is hurting like that, but like I said before, there is not much we can do about it. If we give her some pills that we know won't harm the baby they wont be strong enough to help with the pain, but if we give her something that will help with the pain it could harm the baby. As far as the case causing her stress and making her hurt more, that is a very big possibility. Backing off the case some may help with the stress but I can't say for sure that it would help with the pain. I have seen this kind of endometriosis in pregnant patients a few times before, but it is still a mystery. We don't know why the patients hurt like this, in all reality the endo should get better during pregnancy, but in Annie's case it's getting worse. It's a medical mystery, but unless Annie's blood pressure is getting out of control or it's affecting the baby's heartbeat, the pain shouldn't cause any damage for Annie or the baby. It just hurts like hell."

Jimmy shook his head, "It's just so frustrating when she hurts like that. She says laying down doesn't help, even though that's what you suggested she do. She also didn't eat much at all today."

"As far as laying down, I just want her to try and relax through the pain. As long as she does that maybe we can keep her ovary from twisting again. For some people, laying down makes the pain worse. Just listen to her Jimmy. As far as the eating, if she is hurting she is more than likely feeling sick to her stomach as well. Just make sure she is getting plenty of fluids. And when she is not in pain she needs to eat every chance she gets. How sore is she? Did that affect her a lot today?" Maya asked.

"Oh yea, she is pretty sore. It sure slowed her down. She stayed in the chair at her desk for most of the day. But when she did get up she took it slow and easy. She also got sick once and I think that just about killed her," Jimmy told her.

"I imagine so. Just have her take it easy. And call me anytime. I want her to come on back in tomorrow and let me check her and make sure everything is still good."

"Thanks Maya. I appreciated the reassurance. I may drive you crazy before all of this is over," he laughed.

"No you wont. I am glad you are so concerned. Most men aren't. It's good that Annie has a good support system, she's definitely gonna need it if this endo don't let up soon."

"Yea, I guess your right. Well, I will let you get back to your dinner. And thanks for…you know…not saying anything to Natalie. I hate that I haven't told her about Annie and I yet, I just haven't had a chance, and I'm not sure how she'll take it," Jimmy said.

"Yea I know. Listen, we need to get together sometime. Maybe when Annie's having a good day you guys can come for dinner," Maya suggested.

"Sounds good, I'll tell her. It may be a while if we're waiting for her to have a good day though. She is pretty much ending every day the same here lately," Jimmy sighed.

Maya laughed, "It's gonna be okay Jimmy. Just take care of her. That's all you can do."

"I will. Thanks again Maya."

"You're very welcome…talk to you tomorrow Jimmy. Tell Annie I said hey," Maya said as she disconnected.

Maya sat in Natalie's bathroom for another moment. She was worried about Annie and the way she was hurting, but there was absolutely nothing short of putting her in the hospital and giving her some good pain meds that could potentially hurt the baby that she was able to do. She shook her head, feeling bad that there was just nothing more she could do. When she opened the door to the bathroom she almost ran into Natalie. "What are you doing?" Maya asked surprised.

Natalie just shook her head, "Were you talking to Jimmy? Is Annie hurt?"

Maya shook her head, at a loss for words. "Natalie…I"

"It's okay Maya. Jimmy and Annie are close, they always have been. I'm okay with that. What happened to Annie, and why did he call you?" Natalie asked confused.

Maya shook her head again, "Natalie…I know it's Jimmy, but I still can't talk about it. You know that." Natalie knew the rules of doctor patient confidentiality, but she also knew that the doctor had to be treating the patient for that rule to apply.

Natalie furrowed her brow, "Why would you be treating Jimmy? You are an OB, and I'm pretty sure Jimmy's not…"

"He was calling for a friend, it's really no big deal but I still can't talk about it," Maya said cutting her off.

Thankfully Natalie nodded, satisfied. "Let's go eat." Maya nodded and followed her out, the butterflies in her stomach starting to settle down.

* * *

Jimmy put his cell back in his pocket and pulled the Expedition around the side of the hotel to park. He hated to wake Annie up, but he wasn't sure if he could carry her and their two bags to the room without dropping something. He gently rubbed his hand over her face and down her arm. She didn't even stir. "Boots," he said as he gently shook her.

She muttered some inaudible phrase that sounded a little like 'leave me alone' and then she turned her head away from him. He stifled a laugh as he gently shook her again, "We are at the hotel."

Finally she opened her eyes, furrowing her brows as she looked at him. "What?" she asked.

"We are at the hotel. I thought you might wanna go in and crawl into a bed instead of sleeping in here all night."

Annie looked around. She was still in a little pain, but it was relatively better than before. She just hoped that it stayed that way. She opened the door and turned to climb out of the vehicle. Jimmy rushed around to aide her. "You feeling better?"

She nodded. "You want something else to eat?" Jimmy asked.

She thought for a moment. She wasn't all that hungry, but she no longer felt sick to her stomach either. She should probably try and eat something while she felt like she could. Finally she nodded, "I could try and eat something."

She looked at the Texas Roadhouse that was right next to the hotel. "How about there? The bread is great," she suggested.

Jimmy smiled from ear to ear, "You got it." He grabbed the keys and opened the door back up for her.

"Jimmy, we can walk," she said smiling.

He cocked his head, "You sure? I could drop you off at the door and go park so you won't have to walk far."

"It really doesn't hurt to walk, I promise. Besides, what is it, about the length of a basketball court from right here to the front door…I'm pretty sure I can make it," she smiled again.

"Okay," he said locking the doors and putting the keys in his pocket. They made their way over to the restaurant and were seated fairly quickly. When Annie smelled the food inside the restaurant she started to feel a little hungrier.

They both ordered a good size plate, and ended up with two doggie bags to take back to the hotel with them. Annie actually felt a little better after she ate. She was just barely hurting now. She just hoped the pain stayed like this so she could get some much needed sleep.

They made their way up to the room and as Jimmy put their bags down Annie headed for the bathroom. She came out smiling, "They have a huge bath tub, with jets and everything. Pretty much like a hot tub."

Jimmy looked at her skeptically, "And?"

She smiled seductively, "I'm just sayin."

He laughed a little, "Boots, I'm not sure I could contain myself naked in a tub with you."

She half rolled her eyes and then looked back at him, "Who said you needed to?" She walked back towards the tub, unbuttoning her shirt as she went.

He shook his head. After everything that had happened today, and the way she had hurt earlier, he couldn't believe what she was wanting now. He truthfully just didn't know if they needed to be intimate tonight. He followed her anyways. In a way he couldn't help himself. She had this power over him that turned him into jelly whenever she put that little seductive smile on her face.

He found her drawing the water into the large tub. She was wrapped in a white terrycloth robe, the rest of her clothes in a pile on the floor. He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her small waste and pulling her back into him. She could feel him pressing into the small of her back, smiling at how easy it was for her to get to him.

He leaned down and kissed her on the neck. She tilted her head to give him better access. She brought her hand up to the side of his face and around to the back of his neck as she turned around to face him. Then she pulled his mouth down to hers, kissing him softly at first, but the kiss intensified rapidly.

Finally he pulled back, "Boots…I'm not sure we should…"

"Jimmy, I'm fine. Please trust me," she said in a raspy voice.

He looked at her, doubt clearing showing on his face. "You're so sore, plus you've been hurting all day…"

"Jimmy, please…I need you. We can go slow and easy…I promise to stop you if I start hurting," she begged.

He couldn't tell her no. He knew how she felt, he felt the same way. He pulled her back to him, kissing her again. She pulled at the buttons on his shirt, popping the bottom two off when she couldn't get her fingers to work good enough to unbutton them. "Easy Boots, we have all night," he said leaning over and turning off the water on the now full tub.

He unbuttoned his pants and slid them down, losing his socks and undershirt next. He pulled her back to him, looking into her eyes before kissing her gently again. He slowly untied her robe and slid it off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. He then kissed her neck and her shoulders softly, slowly making his way down. He kissed her small breasts, and just when she thought he was headed south he stopped at her stomach, kissing it gently. He laid his head over it and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Then he began talking, "I know you probably already know this little guy, but your mommy is very stubborn. She also happens to be very beautiful and very persuasive so she usually gets her way. So later on, when you get a little bigger in there, you are going to have to help me keep her in line. I will try and handle it for now though, you just concentrate on growing." he pulled back and kissed her stomach again.

When he rose and met her eyes, he found them misted over with tears. "What is it?" he asked a little worried. "Is something wrong?"

She smiled and shook her head, "No…it's very, very right." She pulled him back to her, kissing him again, but this time there was so much more meaning. She felt like her heart would burst with love for this man, and for this baby that she hadn't even met yet. Suddenly she pulled back and looked at him, her eyes still glazed over with unshed tears, "Promise me…promise me you will never leave Jimmy."

His heart broke for her in that instant. He looked deep into her eyes, and put both hands on her face so that she couldn't look away if she wanted to. "You listen to me miss Annie Noland Frost, I will never ever walk away from you. As long as the good Lord lets me, I will be right beside you through thick and thin. There is not anyone in this world that could make me walk away from you. I know you have insecurities from the people in your past, but you don't have to worry about me. And if I have to, I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you." He kissed her now, passionately. They clung to each other desperately. He had to remind himself several times to slow down and be careful.

She finally pulled his underwear down his muscular legs and took his hand as they both stepped into the steaming water. He sat down and she straddled him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him again. She started rocking back and forth seductively, quickly dissipating his control. Finally she shifted, the soreness in her stomach barely noticeable through all of the other feelings she was experiencing at the moment. She rocked forward slowly, feeling him enter her. She gasped a little as he rocked his hips forward.

She smiled at him as he put his hands on her hips and helped her with the movements. "Let me do all of the work," he said as she threw her head back and moaned a little. She did as he said, letting him do most of the work. He rocked their bodies slowly for a while. Then when she couldn't take it any longer she started picking up speed. He held her hips, guiding her back and forth a little faster. Then the ecstasy washed over both of them. "You okay?" he whispered before moving faster.

"Yes," was all she could say. He moved faster, the water rippling around them. And then they were both over the edge. She moaned and arched her back, rocking once more before she relaxed into him. He held her close for a while, kissing the top of her head. "I love you Annie Frost."

She smiled and looked up at him, "I love you too," she said kissing his chin.

They laid in the tub for a while, just relaxing. Finally they washed and rinsed and dried. Both of them wore the white robes that were provided by the hotel. They laid down in the king size bed at about twenty till eleven. Jimmy was wearing a pair of boxers now and Annie was wearing one of Jimmy's oversized t-shirts. She was asleep within minutes, her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped tightly around her. He was asleep shortly after her.

The next morning Jimmy woke around seven. He gently moved out from under Annie and grabbed the room service menu. He called the front desk and ordered some fresh fruit along with some waffles and bacon for the both of them. Thirty minutes later the food was there and Annie was still sleeping soundly. Jimmy flipped through the channels on the television, keeping the volume low so it wouldn't disturb her. His cell vibrated in his pocket and he answered quietly.

Daisy spoke on the other line, "How is she?"

"Still sleeping. She was pretty tired so I am just gonna let her sleep as long as she can," he told her.

"Yea, I would too. I was gonna start calling some rehab centers for Harmon if that's okay with you. It's just one more thing Annie wont have to worry about," Daisy said.

"Yea, sounds good. We will be in whenever she gets up and around. I wish she would take a couple days, but I know better than to even suggest it."

"Yea, me too. What about the meeting she scheduled at ten thirty with the officers that are suppose to be set up to tale Diablo if he shows at the doctors office this afternoon? Are we still going through with that?"

"I'm not sure that there is much of a point, but I guess we should set it up just in case. I'm sure we will be in by then, but if not just go over the details of the case with them, without giving them any details about Annie other than the fact that she is being targeted. We will be there by eleven at the latest," Jimmy told her.

"Okay, see you in a bit," Daisy said as she hung up.

A few minutes later Annie rolled over in the bed and looked at the clock. It was 8:05. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept nine straight hours, and the bad thing was she felt like she could sleep nine more. The joys of pregnancy, she thought to herself. She sat up and looked around, seeing Jimmy watching her from across the room.

"Morning beautiful," he smiled. She blushed a little, not use to being referred to in that manner. "How you feeling?" he asked.

She nodded, "Not near as sore. Do I smell food?"

He smiled again, "Yea, I ordered some breakfast. You up to eating?"

She thought for a second, "Couldn't hurt to try I guess."

She got up and sat at the table where Jimmy had put all of the food. He uncovered her waffles and handed her some butter and syrup. "Here is some strawberries and grapes. And here's some bacon. I wasn't sure what you would want."

She smiled, "You did good."

She ate a few bites of the waffle and bacon and a few pieces of fruit. Then suddenly she put her fork down and jumped up, rushing to the bathroom with her hand covering her mouth. Jimmy's stomach sank as he followed her. He was hoping she could at least get a good meal down before going to the office.

She wretched over the toilet, emptying the little bit that she had managed to get down into it. When she was finished she leaned back against the tub holding her stomach. "Maybe I am still pretty sore," she said with her eyes closed.

Jimmy sighed, "You okay now?"

She nodded slightly, "I think so. No more food for now though. I think maybe I should wait a while."

He nodded, "Okay, thank you for trying though. I'll grab your tooth brush."

"Thanks," she said as he came back in with her tooth brush and some tooth paste. She rose slowly and rinsed her face off. After she was finished with her teeth she came back out and got dressed. She applied a little make up and pulled her hair back, not really feeling like fixing it.

She was ready to go by nine. "You sure you just don't want to relax here for a while?" Jimmy asked, knowing he was wasting his breath.

"We have a meeting at 10:30. I want to check with Bouff before and see if he has heard anything else. I don't really think Diablo is gonna show, but we better be prepared anyways," she said as she grabbed her bag.

Jimmy frowned as he did the same. They were in the Expedition and headed for the office in a matter of minutes.

* * *

"There hasn't been much more activity since I talked to you last time," Bouff told Annie and Jimmy. "They either have another vehicle they have been using, or they haven't went anywhere, which is unlikely."

Annie nodded, "Thanks Bouff, let me know if anything else goes down."

They made their way back to the bullpen. Some of the officers and marshals were starting to file in for the meeting. It was only ten o'clock but there was a lot of buzz going around about this case so everyone wanted to know as much as they could.

Annie sat down at her desk and started printing off a map that surrounded the hospital. Then she zoomed out and printed one that surrounded it for a half mile on all sides. When she was finished with that she started marking where she wanted each of the officers parked. Hopefully, out of the fifteen vehicles they had access to, one of the guys could fall in behind Diablo and the others could reposition fast enough to take over when he made any changes in direction. She just hoped he showed up, which she had a bad feeling about.

"Jimmy, call Maya and ask her if you and I can come back for the real appointment after everything else goes down. If Diablo doesn't show, we should get done pretty early," Annie said as she worked.

Jimmy sighed, "I'll call her, as long as you promise that if you start hurting you will keep the regular appointment to make sure nothing is wrong." He watched her glare at him. "That's the only way I'm calling," he added.

She rolled her eyes. "If I start hurting bad I will agree to that. But if it's just a little then I want to work first. And that's the only deal I'm making." Now Jimmy was the one glaring. "Jimmy, I know you worry about me, but what you forget is that I have experienced this same pain before. I know when it's something else and I know when something's wrong. You have to trust me on that. If I start hurting bad enough that I can't do this effectively, I'm not going to try because I will not put these officers at risk. Besides, you are going to be beside me every step of the way."

Finally he nodded as he pulled out his cell. He made the phone call and Maya wasn't very happy but said that it would be fine. She also said the same thing as Jimmy though, that if Annie started hurting bad again before any of this went down, she wanted to see her. Chances are, if this did go down, it would get pretty stressful. And if something was wrong stress would just exacerbate it.

At 10:30 on the dot Annie got up and took the many copies of the maps that she had made and looked to Jimmy. "You ready?"

He nodded, "You want me to take the lead?"

"I'll explain the maps and the routes, you can explain the rest," she said as they walked towards the conference room.

All of the officers and marshals got quiet when Annie and Jimmy walked in. The rest of the team was already in the room as well. "Okay guys. Here's the deal. We have reason to believe that this man," she held up Diablo's most recent mug shot, "may show up at McKinley Medical Center this afternoon. He has two hostages that we know of. A woman and her four year old daughter. We are going to post some of you at certain spots around the hospital, and the rest will be posted a little ways away on each side. If we confirm that he's there, we will radio out what kind of vehicle he is in and that's when you all will come into play. Which ever one of you spots him will radio back and let us know where he is located and which direction he goes. The rest of you will fall into parallel routes with him, letting each other know whenever he makes a turn. We are going to stay with him until he gets where he is holding his hostages. You can't follow too close, and if you think he is getting suspicious switch out with someone else. He may suspect a tale, so be ready to pull out all the stops. This guy is smart, and dangerous. You will leave here at two and get to your posts. If anyone has any questions, please ask before we roll out."

All of the officers nodded as they looked at their maps. Each of the maps had fourteen red marks that indicated where the other officers and marshals would be, and one yellow mark that indicated where that particular person would be. Jimmy explained that along with the fact that he wanted the more experienced officers following as much as they could. The meeting lasted about forty five minutes and then the officers were dismissed to go retrieve their vehicles from a different location. Annie had suggested the vehicles not be picked up at the office because she didn't want Diablo to see if he was watching.

A few minutes later, Jimmy found Annie in the conference room digging through the cabinets. He smiled as he watched her. Finally she turned around and glared at him, "What?" she snapped.

He shook his head laughing, "Just glad to see you're finally hungry."

She nodded, "Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing worth a damn in here to eat. I'm gonna order something from the diner around the corner…you want something?"

He shook his head, "I kept my breakfast down." He thought for a minute, "Does that place deliver?"

She shrugged, "I bet they will if I tell them I will tip them an extra fifteen bucks."

He nodded, "You've got a point. You sure you're willing to pay an extra fifteen dollars for a greasy chicken basket?"

She looked around, "It's that or nothing. Had you rather me not eat?"

Jimmy shook his head, "I'm just sayin, there's plenty of restaurants in Houston that deliver decent food, without a fifteen dollar tip."

She smiled, "I'm kinda partial to those greasy chicken strips."

He put both hands up, "Then by all means…I will even go pick them up for you."

"Aww, thanks," she said mockingly. It was obvious that she was feeling a lot better than yesterday.

Thirty minutes later Annie sat at her desk eating the chicken strips and salad that Jimmy had brought back for her. She hadn't been this hungry in at least a week and it felt good to finally want to eat. When she was finished she went over the plan for that afternoon again and again. Her and Marco were going to the fake 'appointment' at around 2:30. All of the officers and marshals that were suppose to tale Diablo should already be set up by then. As soon as Marco and Annie got to the waiting room, Jimmy was suppose to drop Micah and Daisy off at the entrance on the other side of the hospital and they were suppose to meet Marco and Annie in the waiting room. Then Daisy and Annie would get in with Jimmy and head back to the office to run point. Meanwhile, Marco would let them know if Esperanza Gomez showed up and if so, whenever Annie and Jimmy were set back at the office, Marco would go out and get the vehicle and pick Micah up at the door. They didn't want to give Diablo a chance to see her close up in fear that he may notice it wasn't Annie. Then Esperanza would get in with Diablo and the adventure would begin.

Annie sighed. If Diablo did show, every step of this plan had to go without any flaw. He would notice if the tiniest detail was off, and that's exactly what Annie was afraid of. She knew if anyone messed up, it could very likely cost Esperanza Gomez and her daughter their lives.

During the time Annie wasn't preparing for that afternoon she was on the phone to some different rehab centers that Daisy had already talked to, trying to get Jess into one of them. Her first choice, which was closest to her apartment building, was suppose to call her back after they did some checking to see if they could get her in within the next couple of days. Annie had also called and talked to Jess, just to check in. Jess had assured her she was doing fine, but Annie knew better. She also knew if she didn't get her into a program soon, Jess would likely disappear and go looking for her next fix, and that was worrying Annie to death. She decided to give the rehab center she really wanted Jess in until the end of the day to call back, and if they didn't she would go ahead with one of the ones that said they could get her in right away.

* * *

It was close to 2:00 when Annie felt the first hint of the endo pain. She rolled her eyes. 'How convenient' she thought sarcastically. It wasn't bad at all, and it was very easy to hide, but it was still there. And that meant there was a good chance that it would worsen soon. That's usually what happened. It started out light and steadily got worse until it hit the unbearable mark, then she would usually get sick. After that the pain would die down some and a little while later it would usually go away. Annie just hoped that the severe pain would wait until after their mission was over.

A few minutes later Marco looked up from his paperwork. "You almost ready to go chica?"

Annie smiled a little and gave him a little nod. "Just let me call Bouff first and make sure he hasn't heard anything new."

After a short conversation with Bouff and the news that he hadn't heard a word from the two fugitives, Annie grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. Jimmy met her on the way out. "Be careful, and keep your head down. Don't do anything reckless, and I will see you in a bit."

She smiled, "Me…do something reckless…please."

He looked at her again, his eyes a little misty, "I'm serious Annie. Watch your back."

She got a little more serious when she seen how worried he was, "I'll be fine Jimmy. Marco will be with me every step of the way."

He nodded, not really wanting to let her go. Marco walked up and patted him on the back, "Don't worry man, I wont let anything happen to her."

Jimmy smiled, still looking at Annie. "I know you wont." He finally broke his gaze and turned to go get Daisy and Micah. "We will be there a few minutes after you. Don't let her leave your sight until Daisy is with her."

Marco nodded, "Yea, I know the drill."

**There you go…the quickest update I think I have ever done! It will probably take a little while for the next one to come though, so be patient and I hope this tides you all over for now!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay guys…here it is finally! I have to warn you all that there may be more mistakes than usual because I didn't have a chance to proofread as well as I would have liked to. I wanted to get this chapter up tonight though since I had already put it off for two days after I said it would be up. I am going to sleep now so I can work tomorrow and I hope you all enjoy this and hopefully it wont take me as long to get the next chap up. Thank you all for being so patient and thank you for all of the great reviews. Good night, and enjoy!**

Chapter 21

Marco and Annie headed out. They took her Escalade to the hospital. During the ride there Annie noticed that the pain was getting a little worse, but still was nothing compared to what she had felt the last few days. "You doin okay?" Marco asked, noticing how quiet she was.

"Yea, just wondering if this jackass is gonna show," she said, still looking out the window.

"I dunno…didn't you say that they were talking bout abducting some teacher at a park?" Marco asked.

Annie nodded, "Yea, but there was no way to know which park or which teacher. They could have just been trying to throw us off."

A few minutes later Marco pulled up to the hospital. "Looks like there isn't a very close parking spot…you gonna be okay to walk a little ways?"

"Yea Marco, I'm fine." She was a little irritated that everyone was always assuming that she was too weak to do something as easy as walk a little ways. She knew he was just trying to be considerate, but it still graded on her nerves.

Annie and Marco both kept their eyes peeled as they made their way across the parking lot. When they got into the building, Annie noticed Marco relax a bit. They made their way up to the clinic and Annie found Maya waiting on her up front with the receptionist. Maya came out into the waiting room and sat beside Annie. "How you doing?"

Annie nodded a little, "I'm okay today. A lot better than yesterday."

Maya smiled, "So, no more pain today?"

Annie shook her head but stayed silent. The pain in her stomach kicking up a notch as if on cue.

Maya looked at her skeptically, "Not even a little."

"Maybe just a little, but nothing severe. That usually doesn't happen till a little later on," Annie said truthfully.

Maya shook her head, "I wish you would let me check you out really quick. It would only take a minute."

Annie thought for a second, "Daisy should be here any minute and Jimmy and I need to get back so we can coordinate with everyone. This has to be done right or people could die. I promise I will be back as soon as I can, and if I get bad I will come back right away. For the moment, I really think everything's fine."

Maya nodded, "Jimmy wasn't lying when he said you were stubborn. Okay, I guess you win, but I want you back here asap, I wanna have a look at that cyst on your ovary."

Annie nodded, "Thanks Maya."

A few minutes later Daisy and Micah entered the waiting room. Micah was wearing the same outfit as Annie, a pair of dark wash citizens jeans, a button up shirt, and cowboy boots. From a distance you couldn't tell them apart. "Wow, it's almost like lookin in a mirror," Annie said.

Micah smiled, "Hey, we gotta do this right or it's not gonna work."

"I agree, you did good, right down to the belt and gun." Annie looked to Daisy, "Shall we?"

Daisy nodded, "As soon as we get you a wheel chair." Annie looked at her questioningly. "Jimmy's orders. It's a long walk and we have to hurry."

Annie rolled her eyes. "I'm fine Daisy. Let's go."

Daisy shrugged and followed her out, "It's your ass."

Half way into the walk back to where Jimmy was waiting, Annie found that she probably should have taken Daisy up on the wheel chair. She was starting to slow down and this didn't go unnoticed by Daisy. "You need me to get that wheel chair now?" she asked.

Annie glared at her but Daisy just smiled, "I'm not Jimmy, those looks don't work on me. Annie if you want a chair, just say so. It doesn't make you weak, it makes you smart. You shouldn't have tried to walk this far this fast in the shape your in. Hell, if everything that had happened to you had just happened to me, I'd probably still be laying in that hospital bed."

Annie finally nodded, "Yea…maybe I need that chair." She stopped and leaned against the wall, feeling the pain in her stomach get a little worse. "Dammit, I thought I could make it through this," she said as Daisy quickly found a wheel chair in one of the hall closets.

"You will. Just take it easy and let us help you. You hurt worse when you overexert yourself. You'd know that by now if you weren't too damn stubborn to realize," Daisy said as she waited on her to sit in the chair.

They continued on, Daisy pushing Annie quickly down many hallways. They were almost to the exit where Jimmy was waiting on them when a familiar face walked around the corner and almost ran over them. Annie felt her stomach drop as she met the woman's eyes.

"Annie, what happened? Are you okay?" Natalie asked worried.

Annie was at a loss for words for a moment, but somehow recovered quickly. "We…We're on a case."

Natalie smiled a little, "Wow, a case that requires you to ride in a wheelchair?"

"Yea…we can't really discuss the particulars," Daisy cut in.

"Natalie, we really have to get going. We'll talk to you later okay?" Annie said politely.

"Okay," Natalie said, still a little disbelieving. "You guys be careful okay. And I hope you get whoever your after." She turned to go, "Tell Jimmy I said hey."

Annie rolled her eyes as Daisy pushed her on out. Why hadn't she thought of the possibility of running into Natalie? How could she forget that she worked at that hospital. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, but Natalie was the last person she wanted to see her in a wheelchair. And then the last comment, to tell Jimmy she said hi, that really rubbed Annie the wrong way. She probably didn't mean anything by it, and Annie was not a jealous person, but for some reason the way Natalie had said the words had pushed Annie's buttons.

Daisy noticed how quiet she was as they neared the doors. "You okay?"

Annie nodded slightly, "I cannot believe we ran into her. What the hell was I thinking?"

"Don't worry about it. Why do you care so much anyways?" Daisy asked.

Annie shrugged, "I don't know…I guess it's just that I have always felt like she really respected me when her and Jimmy were together. We were friends, and now that Jimmy and I are together I just feel like I'm betraying her somehow. It's stupid, I know."

Daisy smiled as they exited the hospital and seen Jimmy waiting. "Your not betraying her Annie. You didn't steel Jimmy from her, because he was never actually hers. He's been yours all along, it just took you guys a while to figure that out."

Annie thought back to a long time ago, when her and Jimmy had a different kind of relationship. If it hadn't of been for her insecurities and Jimmy's immaturity, they would have more than likely gotten married and started a life seven or eight years ago. They were together most nights, mostly just for physical needs, and when the emotions got stronger Annie pushed him away. Breaking things off with him had nearly killed her, but at the time she just couldn't afford to put her heart on the line. She knew that if she did that he would eventually be the one doing the leaving and it would definitely kill her. They had fought, over and over. But in the end insecurity and immaturity had won out. They were distant from each for a long time after that. And then they started working together. They got close again then. They even ended up drunk and naked a few times, but they never let themselves talk about it after it happened. Then Jimmy and Natalie had gotten together. Jimmy had some on again off again girlfriends in the past, but Natalie lasted longer than the rest. It was the first woman he had actually stayed faithful to, with a little help from Annie that is. There had been a few times, after some especially tough cases, that he had ended up on Annie's door step. She had always let him in, put him back together, and sent him home to Natalie before one thing could lead to another, like she knew it would if she didn't make him leave.

Then the McGraw case had hit. It's not like it was the most terrible case that either of them had ever worked. But for some reason it hit Annie hard. She had been the one that needed put back together that night, and of course, Jimmy had done just that. And so much more. When Annie thought back to the way it had happened, she couldn't help but feel a little bit like the 'other woman'. That is what made her so uncomfortable in front of Natalie right now. When she finds out that Annie is pregnant, and how far along she is, she is going to assume that Jimmy and Annie were sleeping together while Jimmy was with her. And that was something that bothered Annie a lot.

She shook her head to clear the old memories. She got into the expedition quickly and as soon as Daisy was in Jimmy sped off towards the office. Daisy pulled out her cell, dialing Marco. "Gomez show?" Daisy asked when he picked up.

"Not yet," Marco replied.

Just then Annie's phone rang. She looked at the ID, "It's Jess," she told them with furrowed brows. She hit a button and answered, "This is Annie."

"Annie…" Jessica was crying.

"Jess, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Annie pleaded.

"No…he, he found me," she mumbled as someone jerked the phone away from her.

"I hope you enjoyed your time with your old friend yesterday, because you are never going to see her again," a deep male voice with a Mexican accent said on the other line.

"Don't touch her you son of bitch…you let her go. It's me you're after, not her," Annie spoke angrily.

But then the phone went silent. Annie listened for a minute to make sure he had hung up, then she threw her phone on the dash. "Which motel is Jess at?" she asked Daisy in a bit of a panic.

"Days Inn, the one close to the office," Daisy said quickly.

Annie picked up the radio, "I need all HPD units within the area to get to the Days Inn on Central right now. We are in pursuit of a Latino male with a hostage. Hostage is 45 years old, brown hair, brown eyes, approximately 5'6''." She stopped for a minute, looking back to Daisy, "what room?"

"Room 434," she said quickly.

"Hostage may be in room 434," she said into the radio again. Then she looked to Jimmy, "Hurry up and get there," she snapped.

He didn't respond. He just concentrated on the traffic and getting through it. He knew Annie was on the verge of panic. He also knew there was nothing he could say to calm her down. So he stayed quiet and just drove.

When they pulled up to the motel Annie had the door open and was jumping out before Jimmy put the vehicle in park. "Whoa, Annie wait a minute." There was police cars everywhere but Jimmy didn't know if they had already cleared the scene. Annie never checked up though. She had one thought on her mind, and that was Jessica Harmon. Jimmy raced to catch her before she got to the stairs. He grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Dammit Jimmy, let me go!" She tried to jerk away but he held firm.

"You have to make sure the scene is clear first Annie," he said.

"I know how to do my job," she snapped. "I have to get to her."

Just then a young cop was coming down the stairs, "She's not here. The room was tossed. We found blood, but not much. There was a note," he said as he handed the marshals a small piece of paper in an evidence bag.

Jimmy took it before Annie could. "Too Late," he read out loud.

"Son of a bitch," Annie said slapping the wall beside her. "He's got her. Why didn't I see this coming? How could I have not thought about it?"

"Annie, no one could have predicted this. It's not your fault," Jimmy said.

She jerked her arm away from him now and made her way back to the vehicle. She was on the verge of losing it and the last thing she wanted to do was break down in front of half of the Houston Police Department.

She walked to the far side of the expedition. The tears were rolling in full force now. She knew she couldn't stop them so she didn't even try. She leaned over with her hands on her knees, feeling like she was going to be sick. A few seconds later, the sickness came, along with stronger pain. She clutched her stomach as she wretched. Finally, she leaned back against the vehicle, crying hard. Things just kept getting worse. Just when they thought they may have a plan to get to the two fugitives, things had taken another turn. Annie was strong, but she didn't know how much more of this she could take. It was getting ridiculous. And now things had really turned personal. They had taken a piece of Annie's past when they took Jess. Annie's heart was breaking all over again, just like it had when she was twelve years old.

Just then Jimmy walked around the vehicle and found Annie in the midst of her break down. His heart ached for her, but there wasn't much he could do to comfort her. He tried taking her in his arms but she shook him off. "Don't," she cried. "That's not what I need right now."

He leaned up against the expedition beside her. "Annie, we will do everything we can…maybe we'll find her."

She shook her head, "Jimmy just…don't." She held her hand up to silence him. Annie's cell phone rang. She looked at the ID and seen it was someone from back at the office. She took a couple breaths and pulled herself together before answering. "Annie Frost," she said with no hint of the tears that were still wet on her face.

She listened for a minute and then she hung up. "Dammit," she said running both hands through her hair and looking up at the sky, determined to stop the new tears that were forming from falling.

"What is it?" Jimmy asked, not even knowing who the call had been from.

"It was Ramirez," she said taking a breath. "They just found Gomez's body in the ditch out on highway 59. No sign of her kid."

Jimmy sighed, "Damn," he said shaking his head.

"It's never gonna end," she laughed sarcastically as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks. "I don't know what else we can do. Gomez was our only chance and now she's dead and has a four year old daughter that is still unaccounted for."

"Let's get back to the office. I'll go get Daisy and call Marco and tell him to tell everyone to stand down." Jimmy headed off to find Daisy, leaving Annie to finish composing herself.

She leaned back against the vehicle again, her pain continuing to get worse. She was so tired, mentally, physically, and most of all emotionally. Her team was once again at the end of it's rope and that was the worst feeling in the world. She felt like most of all she had betrayed Jess. She had promised to help her but in all likelihood had led her to her death.

She climbed into the vehicle, leaning her head back on the headrest and closing her eyes. By the time Jimmy and Daisy made their way back to the truck Annie had almost completely composed herself. Jimmy watched her closely as they made their way back to the office. When they finally got there, Annie was fighting not to let the pain show, but she was pretty sure Jimmy was onto her.

"Annie, we need to go back and see Maya," he said as he pulled into the parking garage at the office.

She nodded her head, "We will, let's just see what's going on in here first," she said a little desperately.

He sighed but agreed. "Twenty minutes."

The three marshals met Marco on their way in. "You guys hear about Esperanza?"

"Yea," they all nodded at once.

"These assholes aren't giving us any breaks," Marco said shaking his head and following them into the office.

They found Luke pacing frantically when they entered the bullpen. When he seen them he practically ran over, "Annie, they dropped the girl off!" he said excitedly.

She looked at him puzzled. "What are you talkin bout Luke?" she said shaking her head.

"The girl, Gomez's daughter…she's in the conference room with Micah. She wouldn't let anyone else near her," Luke said.

Annie looked at him with wide eyes, "They just…dropped her off?" she asked heading straight for the conference room.

"Yea, across the street at the restaurant. One of the waitresses brought her over with this note," Luke handed her a small piece of paper.

She took it, reading as she walked.

_Dear Annie, here is a little present. I'm sure you need something to make this day a little brighter after everything else that has happened. We just couldn't bring ourselves to send her to the same hell that we sent her mother to. Find her a good home, she has been through a lot. See you soon. Love Always, Diablo._

She handed the note to Jimmy without saying a word. "Did she say anything Luke? About where they kept her, what they did to her?"

Luke shook his head, "I don't know, she screamed every time a man got close to her. Micah has been the only person she would talk to."

Annie nodded, "Okay, Daisy and I are going in. You guys stay out here and we'll be out in a minute."

Jimmy looked at her and nodded. "Okay, but don't forget about your appointment."

Annie half nodded and half rolled her eyes. She and Daisy went into the conference room to find a scared four year old little girl. Her brown eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she looked at them with a million questions in her eyes.

"How is she?" Annie asked softly.

"Confused mostly," Micah answered.

Annie sat down beside the little girl, "Hey sweetie, I'm Annie and this is Daisy…what's your name?"

The girl looked up at her sadly. Finally she spoke quietly, "Se…Selena. Where's my momma?"

Annie looked to Daisy and then back at the little girl, "I'm not sure. Are you okay honey? Are you hungry?"

Selena nodded shyly, her eyes full of fear.

"How about a cheeseburger and fries? That sound good?" Annie asked.

The girl nodded again. "Is my momma still with the men?"

Annie's heart broke for Selena. She had never had to tell a four year old about someone's death before and she wasn't really sure how to do it. She decided that she should probably put it off at least until they had a positive ID on the body. "I'm not sure sweetie, do you know if you have any aunts and uncles, or maybe grandparents?"

"I have a nana and a papa. I haven't seen them since Christmas," Selena said.

"Are they your momma's parents?"

"No, they are my nana and papa…not my momma's" Selena said sighing like that was the dumbest question she had ever heard.

"Do you want us to call them for you?" Annie smiled.

The girl looked up hopefully, nodding her head. "Do you know their number?"

Annie smiled, "I bet we can figure it out. Now let me get you that cheeseburger. I will be back in a few minutes okay" Annie said.

The little girl clung to Micah as Annie walked out. She found the guys waiting impatiently. She sent Luke to get the food for Selena as she talked to Jimmy and Marco.

"Did she say anything about Vasquez or Diablo?" Jimmy asked.

Annie shook her head. "I didn't ask her anything yet. She is so traumatized…I hate to make her relive anything right now. She has lost her mother and her father all in a week."

Jimmy nodded sympathetically. "You're right Boots, but this is all still fresh on her mind. She is only four and I understand she is traumatized but if she knows anything that could help us we need to know. I'll call and see if we can get a therapist down here, Lord knows she's gonna need one."

"I'll go back in and talk to her. See if she can tell us anything without upsetting her too much," Annie said.

She went back in to find Selena still holding on to Micah like a security blanket. She sat down in a chair in front of them. "Selena, I need to ask you a few questions, and if you don't know the answers its okay."

The little girl nodded slowly, "Okay."

Annie took a breath before she began, "Selena, do you remember anything about where you have been staying these last few days?"

Selena thought for a minute, "There were no buildings, just a lot of trees."

Annie nodded, "So you were in the woods?"

Selena nodded. "I think so."

"Okay, you're doing so good. Do you remember anything else, like what kind of vehicle the men were driving?" Annie asked.

"They have a truck and a car," she said.

Annie nodded, "Do you remember what color the truck was?" Annie asked.

"I think it was black. It has a big back seat. I remember because they made me lay down in it while they drove."

"And when they put you in the truck today, did it take you a long time to get here?" Annie asked.

The little girl nodded, "It took forever. I asked them where my momma was and they wouldn't tell me. I was so scared. They were mean. They hit mom and she cried a lot while we were there," Selena started crying.

"It's okay, you're safe now. You will never have to see those men again. I am going to go try to call your nana and papa now okay. You stay with Micah and we will bring you your food as soon as it gets here." Annie and Daisy walked back out and relayed what the girl had said to the rest of the team.

Annie went and sat down at her desk to try and figure out the names of Selena's grandparents. The moderate pain she was feeling had leveled out but was still starting to wear on her. After a few minutes of research she found that Esperanza's in laws were both deceased. After another few minutes she had found Esperanza's parents address and phone number. They lived in Houston, which Annie was very thankful for. They would be devastated when they learned about their daughter, but Selena needed them right now. She picked up her phone, dialing the number to Roberta and Fredrico Cruz.

"Hola," a woman with a Mexican accent answered on the second ring.

"Habla English?" Annie asked.

"Yes," the woman said.

"Mrs. Cruz, this is Annie Frost. I'm with the US Marshals. Are you Esperanza Gomez's mother?"

"Si…yes," the woman said quickly. "You know where my daughter is?"

"Ma'am, I need you and your husband to come down to my office. I really need to talk to you in person." Annie didn't want to tell the woman anything over the phone.

"K…where is your office?" Roberta Cruz asked.

Annie gave her the address and a few directions, hoping that the woman could find the place. Roberta assured her that she and her husband would be there within the hour.

After Annie hung up she seen Jimmy walking over. She immediately shook her head, "Not now Jimmy. I am not leaving right now."

Jimmy put his hands up in a defeated manner, "How are you? And don't lie to me."

She shook her head a little, "I'm okay…really. I am hurting a little but I'm fine. If I thought anything was wrong I would tell you. Now please, just let me get through this. Let's get this little girl situated with her grandparents and then I will go wherever you want."

He sighed and sat down at his desk. "I know you're worried about this little girl, but I'm worried about you. I just wish you wouldn't put yourself in any more stressful situations than you absolutely have to. You have already had to handle a lot today, I just wish you would let someone else handle this and give yourself a break."

Annie swallowed hard. "Esperanza Gomez is dead, Jess is either dead or will be soon, and there is a four year old girl in there that has lost both of her parents and witnessed God knows what in the last few days, and you're sitting here worried about what I have been through today? Give me a break Jimmy." She glared at him for a minute and when he didn't respond she closed her eyes and shook her head, "I'm sorry. I just…I need to work right now. I need to see this through. Besides, it would be just as stressful not being here right now because I would constantly be wondering and worrying about Selena, about Jess…" she trailed off.

Jimmy closed his eyes now. "I understand Boots…I really do. But that doesn't keep me from worrying about you. I just don't want you to end up in the kind of pain you were in the other night. And you heard Maya, if you're not careful, you could end up right back there in the same situation…and next time you may not be so lucky."

Annie nodded, "I know Jimmy. But I'm not gonna just stop everything and lay in bed because there is a chance that it could happen again. The baby's life is not in danger right now and that's what matters."

Jimmy rolled his eyes and got up, "Whatever. I'm gonna go see if Marco found anything else out about Esperanza Gomez. We will need to know what to tell her parents when they get here."

Annie watched him go. She knew he was mad, but she just really wished he would listen to her. If she wasn't here working, she would be somewhere else worried about Jess and what was happening to her. She was already making herself miserable because there was absolutely nothing she could do to find the woman that had made such a difference in her life so long ago. Annie would do anything and everything to find Jess, to get to her, but she had no way to even know where to start. Selena had said that she and her mother had been kept in the woods. That didn't help any though. There were hundreds of wooded areas in and around Houston.

Luke brought Annie out of her thoughts as he walked up and set the take out box of food that he had gotten for Selena down on her desk. "You wanna take this in to her? I don't think she would like it if I did.

Annie's hand flew to her mouth as the smell of the food hit her. She grabbed the trash can just in time, and Luke grabbed the food and quickly took it across the room to get it away from her. By the time he returned Annie was finished. "I'm so sorry Annie…I wasn't thinking…"

"It's okay," she cut him off. "You just caught me off guard. The smell kind of got to me I guess. I'm fine now. Bring me the food and I will take it in."

Luke looked at her, "You sure?"

She stood slowly, "Yes Luke, I'm sure."

She took the food, the smell still wasn't pleasant but she controlled the nausea this time. Selena dug in as soon as Annie set the box down on the table. A few minutes later Annie seen an older couple walk into the bullpen and Jimmy and Marco meet up with them. She took a breath and looked to Daisy and Micah. "Keep her in here, I will be back in a few minutes."

They both nodded and Annie turned to the door. She dreaded the next few minutes but she knew they couldn't be put off any longer. 'Here goes nothing', she thought as she entered back into the bullpen.

**Well, there you have it…finally! Hope you all enjoyed and I will work on the next chap every chance I get and post it as quickly as I can!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Well, here it is, finally! I am so so sorry it has taken so long. I have been sick, working, getting horses ready for shows, taking care of my 23 month old, and have not had a chance to even open the computer for about five days. This chapter is shorter and not as proofread as the others but I decided you had all rather have it like it is than not at all! Hopefully you will enjoy and it won't have too many mistakes. I will try my hardest to get the next chap up quicker. And last but not least, hooray for Chase coming back on. I am just sick because we have a horse show that day but I will definitely have it on DVR and I cannot wait!**

Annie unconsciously held her hand over her stomach as she led Mr. and Mrs. Cruz to her desk. Jimmy spotted them from across the room and made his way over to help break the news. This was the hardest part of the job. Chasing fugitives down and putting your life on the line demanded a lot, but this was worse by far. Watching a family fall apart when they received the news that they'd lost a loved one would take an emotional toll that couldn't easily be washed away, which is why Jimmy hated that Annie was going to have to face that, especially when she was already so close to a breaking point. But she wouldn't have it any other way. Her mind was set and no one could change it.

He noticed how she held her hand lightly on her stomach, and he also didn't miss the slight grimace of pain when she eased into her seat and turned to face the parents of Esperanza Gomez.

"Deputy Frost, did you find my daughter?" Mrs. Cruz asked with a worried look.

Annie took a breath. There was no easy way to say what she needed to. She knew that in a matter of seconds her words would shatter the world of these two people. "Mr. and Mrs. Cruz…I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Mrs. Gomez started to cry, already knowing what she was going to say. Jimmy picked up for Annie, knowing the best way to break this kind of news was to just say it. "Your daughter's body was found earlier today. We are so sorry that there is not more we could do, but we didn't get to her in time."

Mrs. Gomez fell apart, her husband wrapped his arms around her and let her bury her face in his chest. His eyes were misty, but the tears didn't fall. He had a look of pure rage on his face. "Have you caught the person that did this?"

"Not yet…" Annie said quietly, "but we will. I promise you that."

"What about our granddaughter?" he asked next. Mrs. Gomez looked at the two marshals with a new glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Selena's safe. She is in our conference room eating. She has a lot of questions because we haven't broken the news to her yet. We thought she would handle it better hearing it from someone that she knew," Annie explained.

"Can…can we see her?" Mrs. Cruz asked.

"Of course," Annie said getting out of her chair, her hand immediately going back to her stomach as a pain shot through her. She quickly pushed it aside and began to lead the woman to her granddaughter.

Jimmy took Mr. Cruz's arm as he rose to follow. "Mr. Cruz, can I ask you to look at a photo? We need a positive ID on your daughter. We know it's her…but it's standard procedure."

The man nodded silently, doing his best to keep his emotions under control. Jimmy pulled the Polaroid out and handed it to Mr. Cruz. He instantly nodded, "That's her…that's my Esperanza." He handed the photo back.

"Thank you sir. And I am so sorry for your loss," Jimmy said sincerely.

When Annie led Mrs. Cruz into the room, Selena immediately jumped up and ran to her, "Nana!"

Mrs. Cruz kneeled down to hug the young girl. "Selena, are you okay?"

"Yes Nana. I'm okay, but I don't know where momma is," the little girl said as she hugged her grandma.

"It's okay baby. You can come with us. We will talk later." She picked the girl up and nodded at Annie. "Thank you Deputy Frost. Can we go now?"

Annie nodded, "Yes ma'am. We will call you if we need anything else, and you do the same. If Selena remembers or says anything, please call me. Here is a card with my office number and my cell is written on the back."

Annie sat down at the big table as she watched them make their way out the door. She was relieved that the girl's grandparents were so easy to get a hold of, and that Selena was happy to see them. But that didn't change the fact that a four year old girl had just lost her mother, and Annie felt like she was partly to blame. They should have done something more. They should have tried to tail them the day Esperanza had shown up at the doctor's office.

"Annie, there wasn't anything else that we could have done," Daisy said from across the room, knowing what the other woman was thinking.

"We could have tried to help her that day. Maybe then we could have saved her, and caught these son of a bitches."

"We would have gotten her killed even faster and possibly gotten one of us killed right along with her. We can't save everyone Annie. It sucks, but it's the truth. We got that little girl to her grandparents and now we have to move on," Daisy said sitting down next to her.

Annie laughed sarcastically, "Move on to what? We lost our only lead when Esperanza Gomez was found in that road ditch."

Daisy looked at her seriously, "Well, for starters, you need to go take care of yourself. You've been putting it off all day and it's time to stop. I know you've been hurting, and I'm sure Jimmy does to. He is cutting you some slack and trying to stay backed off, but you're not making it easy."

Annie closed her eyes knowing Daisy was right. Finally she nodded, "Okay, I want a picture of Jess sent to every HPD precinct in the city. If she shows up…alive or dead…I want to be notified as quickly as possible." Annie sighed before she made a move, "God, I'm just so sick of this. We have been a step behind ever since this case started. There is no way to anticipate what is going to happen next. How in the hell are we suppose to catch these guys?" She ran her hands through her hair.

Daisy got up and put her hand on Annie's back. "We will Annie. Now go and get yourself checked out."

Annie nodded and looked up at her, "I will, just…give me a minute, okay?"

Daisy nodded. "Don't wait long, your running Jimmy crazy."

Annie sat alone in the conference room. She was thinking about Jess and wondering what was happening to her. She wished that Luke and Marco had never brought her in. That way at least she would still be alive and safe. But now she was probably being tortured and no telling what else and Annie couldn't bare the thought of it.

She was hurting worse now, but she welcomed the pain. It was something to keep her mind off this case. She didn't want anything to go wrong with the baby but she was pretty sure it was just the endometriosis flaring up again. She heard the door open behind her but she didn't have to turn around to know who it was. She could feel his eyes on her and she was sure he could see how tensed up she was as she felt the pain course through her body.

He walked over and slowly sat down beside her. She wanted…she needed his support right now. But she also knew that he was upset with her. She couldn't blame him, he had every right to be mad. "I'm sorry Jimmy. I know I haven't been real easy to deal with today."

He looked at her, a little amused by the apology. "Look Boots, I know you want to see this case through, and I can't say that I blame you. But you have other things to worry about right now."

She tried to control her emotions but a little anger slipped through her resolve, "You don't think that I know that Jimmy. This baby is fine," she put her hand on her stomach protectively. "If I ever thought that it wasn't I wouldn't hesitate in getting to the hospital."

Jimmy put his hands up to stop her, "I know that Annie. But it's not just the baby that you have to worry about. You have to take care of yourself. I know that's not too high up on your priority list, but it is number one on mine. Plus, if you want this baby to have a fighting chance, you have to give yourself one. There is no way you can carry it for seven more months if you don't start taking care of yourself better."

Annie looked at him, "I'm fine Jimmy. I can handle this. If the pain gets too bad I will slow down. I just wish you would trust me."

"I do trust you Annie, but you seem to keep forgetting about that cyst you have and how easy it could rupture. Maya told you to take it easy, and you did yesterday. But today you have been on your feet and up and down from one room to the next so many times that I don't know how it has kept from blowing up in there. I have held my breath every time you would make a move thinking that it would happen at any second." Jimmy rubbed his forehead.

Annie closed her eyes and sighed, "Okay…can we just not fight about this anymore? I said I was sorry, and I meant it. I'm not gonna say that it wont happen again, because you and I both know that it probably will. Now, can we just go see Maya?"

Jimmy half rolled his eyes, "Maya has already left the hospital. She called a few minutes ago and said she was stopping by here on her way home. She has a portable ultrasound machine but she said if anything was questionable that we may have to take you back in and use one of the bigger machines to see better."

Annie nodded, "Did you tell her we could come to her house? I hate for her to go out of her way."

Jimmy cocked his eyebrow, "I suggested that but she said it was no problem to stop by here. I think she is worried about you Annie, and to tell you the truth, that scares me. It's not everyday that a doctor chases down a patient just to check on them."

Just then Jimmy's phone rang, "He picked it up but kept his eyes on Annie, "This is Jimmy."

"It's me," Maya said on the other line. "I may take you up on that offer to drop by the house so I can check Annie out. Jim just called and he has left his keys at the office so he is locked out of the house. Will Annie be okay with that?"

"Yea, we will be there in about an hour…will that work?" Jimmy asked.

"Sure thing, how is she feeling?" Maya asked.

"She's hurting, but not terrible. She says she's fine," Jimmy said as Annie stared at him, rolling her eyes at the sarcasm in his voice.

"Okay, I will see you soon," Maya said as she disconnected.

Jimmy told Annie about the situation and she nodded, tensing a little as another wave of pain coursed through her. Jimmy noticed immediately and took her by the arm, "Okay, we aren't waiting…let's go."

Annie put her hand up to stop him from tugging, "Just a minute…let this pass," she whispered, waiting on the pain to ease. It got worse before it got better. Annie gripped the table and tried her best to keep her stomach relaxed like Maya had said. She tucked her chin down towards her chest and gritted her teeth to keep from moaning out loud. Then she slowly opened her eyes, convincing herself that the worst was over with. However, before the pain eased, one more strong wave passed through, causing her to grab at her stomach and double over in the chair. After that it was gone. She took a few breaths, waiting on the pain to wash over her again, but it never did.

"I…I think it's over," Annie said through short breaths.

"Annie, is that the worst it's been today?" Jimmy asked.

"Yea, it hasn't been coming and going like that. It has just been constant, getting a little worse at times and then easing back up a little bit, but it never got that bad," she admitted.

"So you're saying that pain was different?" Jimmy asked worried.

Annie shrugged a little, "I still think it's from the endometriosis Jimmy. It still feels like that."

"Well, let's get you over to Maya's so we know for sure."

Annie slowly got to her feet, letting Jimmy help her. "I think I'm fine now," she said as she started towards the door.

Jimmy nodded, letting go of her arm but keeping a hand in the small of her back for his own piece of mind.

"Sit down at your desk while I get our stuff together," Jimmy told her as he led her to her desk. Jimmy told Daisy that they were leaving and that he would call her later and let her know how Annie was. He then got their stuff and made his way back to Annie, "You ready."

She nodded slightly, slowly getting to her feet. They made their way out to the explorer, deciding to take it again instead of the escalade. Jimmy told Annie to lay her seat back so that no one could see her, just in case there was someone looking. She did just that, closing her eyes as another wave of pain washed over her.

"Is it bad again?" Jimmy asked, noticing how she was holding her stomach with one hand and making a tight fist with the other.

"Not like before…" she paused and took a short breath, "but it hurts."

Jimmy nodded, "Just hang on, we will be there in a minute."

Annie turned her head towards the window and closed her eyes again. She willed her body to relax and took deep breaths. Eventually the pain eased again and she looked back over to Jimmy who was watching her out of the corner of his eye. He shook his head, "Why do you let it get this bad before you say anything?"

She shook her head, "Jimmy, there is nothing anyone can do to stop this. And I know Maya suggested laying down, but that doesn't help. If anything, it makes it worse. I have told you this before, why don't you believe me?"

"Well do me a favor then…tell Maya that. Maybe she can suggest something else. There is no sense in you hurting like this. It's ridiculous," he said.

About fifteen minutes later they pulled up into Maya and Jim's driveway. Annie had almost fallen asleep but when Jimmy slowed and pulled in she raised her seat to wake up a little. She was in awe at the beautiful house and yard that lay before her. It wasn't anything super extravagant, but it was perfect. There was a circle drive that was surrounded by a huge front yard. What made it so nice was that it wasn't surrounded by busy streets or other buildings, and it was far enough off the highway that kids and pets could play outside without the danger of getting ran down by a vehicle. On the backside of the property sat a moderate size log house, and beside it was a good size barn. Behind the barn was a white fence that went out on each side and met the wood line, where Annie was pretty sure the fence turned to something like barbed wire since she couldn't really see it.

In the pasture were several horses grazing. A few had foals by their side. Annie smiled at this, "I didn't know they were in the horse business."

Jimmy nodded, "Yea, they have been for years. They raise and show quarter horses, they are pretty good at it too."

"What do they show?" Annie asked curiously.

"I think Jim shows cutting horses, and Maya runs barrels and shows some western pleasure. They both show reiners too. They are more into raising horses now though, considering they don't have a lot of free time," Jimmy explained.

"Wow, I love to ride. Remember when we use to go on trail rides like once a month?" she smiled at the memory.

Jimmy nodded, smiling along with her, "Yea, I remember. Those were the days huh?"

Jimmy parked in front of the house and went around to help Annie out. "I'm good Jimmy, really. I'm not hurting so much now."

He helped her anyway, and she let him. Maya met them at the door with a gorgeous little dark haired boy. "Hey little man," Jimmy said, "how have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

The little boy immediately smiled, "Where you go Jimmy?"

"I've been working," Jimmy said.

"Who she?" he asked looking at Annie curiously.

"This is Annie, but you can call her Boots if you want. That's what I call her," Jimmy smiled.

"Hi Boots," he said.

"Hi. And what's your name?" Annie asked.

"I Bennett. I three years old," he told her proudly.

"Okay Bennett, how about you go find daddy while I visit with them for a few minutes," Maya said putting him down and watching him run into another room.

"Wow, he is so cute," Annie said. "And he seems really bright." She had never been around many kids but for three years old Bennett seemed very smart.

"Thanks," Maya said smiling. "He is something. Sometimes I think he is smarter than Jim and I both. Let's just say he knows exactly how to get his way."

Maya led them into the living room, "Can I get you guys anything?"

They both shook their head, "We're fine. I just appreciate you letting us come here for this. I am sorry we didn't get back to your office sooner," Annie said.

"Annie, you and Jimmy are welcome here anytime. I was just worried about you…how have you felt today?" she asked.

Annie shrugged, "I have hurt some, but nothing too intense until just a little while ago."

"What happened a little while ago?" Maya asked a little worried.

"Well, like I told you before, the pain always gets worse towards the end of the day. This time it was just a little different. It usually gets worse gradually until it is unbearable, but this time it was more sudden. It was pretty much the same pain, but it came on quickly, lasted about a minute, then it was gone."

Maya furrowed her brow, "Did this only happen once?"

"She did this once right before we left to come here, and then again in the vehicle on the way," Jimmy answered for her.

"The pain on the way here wasn't near as bad," Annie corrected.

"Hmm…lets get you into the guest bedroom and we will see if we can figure something out. It could just be the endometriosis, but I want to have a look at that cyst." Maya led them into a good size bedroom with a queen bed in it.

"You can just lay on top of the covers, and pull your shirt up…I'm sure you know the drill by now," Maya smiled as she set up her machine.

When Annie was ready, Maya put some gel on the small wand and started over Annie's abdomen. Annie tensed a little when she hit a certain spot. Maya noticed quickly, "Annie, is that sore?"

She nodded, "Yea, a little…but this is the first I've noticed it."

Maya went back over that spot with the wand and looked carefully. "That is where the cyst is." Maya paused for a long minute, studying the small screen intently.

"What is it Maya? What are you thinking?" Jimmy asked finally.

Maya cocked her head, "I believe the cyst may be leaking out. That is probably what was causing the more intense pain earlier."

Jimmy and Annie both looked worried, "It's okay," Maya said. "I think this cyst is just filled with harmless fluid, and it will more than likely seal itself back up. However…I would like to monitor you closely until it does. This is not a big deal right now Annie, but it could be if it ruptures or your ovary flips again. The pain will be excruciating and you could need immediate surgery if something goes bad wrong."

Annie looked a little scared now, "What about the baby, is the baby okay?"

Maya ran the wand over and down just a little. She smiled big as she turned the knob on her mini machine a little. A sound filled the room, "That's your babies heart…"

Annie looked at Jimmy, tears filling her eyes. "Wow, I wasn't expecting that."

Maya nodded, "Yea, it's still pretty early, but sometimes we can hear them, sometimes we can't."

Jimmy smiled big, "Is that how it's suppose to sound? It's so…fast."

Maya nodded, "It is just a hair fast, but that is probably from the pain Annie has felt in the last little bit. It's strong though, and that is what really matters right now."

"It's amazing," Annie said to no one in particular. She was completely and totally awe struck. She had never felt this way in all of her life. She felt like a mother for real now. It had just felt like a dream before this moment, but that beat that filled the room made everything real.

"So what do we need to do?" Jimmy asked after Maya turned the machine off.

"Well, what were your plans for tonight?"

Jimmy shrugged, "We didn't really have any."

"Well, I'm going to get Annie some clothes to change into, and then we are going to put her to bed. Then I'm going to cook some dinner and we are going to eat, and so are you," she said pointing to Annie. "From the looks of it you have skipped a few meals."

Annie shrugged, "I've tried to eat, but it seems like this baby doesn't like anything I swallow."

Maya laughed, "I've been there. You just have to keep trying. Eventually it will start staying down. I want to keep a pretty close eye on you tonight, just to be safe. And Annie, if the cyst is still leaking in the morning we may need to take you in and have a closer look on a bigger and better machine."

Annie nodded, making a silent wish that everything would resolve itself before morning. This baby was her number one priority right now, but she was still worried about the case her team had been working on night and day. Jess's face was stuck in the back of her mind and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the image. She decided that she was going to do her best to rest as well as she could tonight and hopefully everything would be fine by in the morning.

**There you go guys. Again, I'm so sorry it took so long. I promise to try and get the next one up quicker!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Okay, first of all I am so so sorry it has taken forever on this. I just now got finished with this chap and I know it's really long but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging too bad at the end so it took a while to find a stopping point! I am not going to promise that the next chapter will come quickly because truthfully, as much as I have going on right now I just can't find time to write. What I will promise is that I am not giving up on this story! I promise to write every chance I get and post the next chap as fast as I possibly can! Thanks for all of the reviews and I hope that everyone is doing well. Talk to you all later!**

**P.S. Forgive me for the many mistakes that I am sure I made! I didn't proofread much because I wanted to get this up tonight and now I have to go give my little one a bath and put him to bed! Enjoy!**

Chapter 23

Maya had brought in some pajama pants and a t-shirt for Annie, and when she had changed Annie was ordered to go straight to bed. Luckily there was a television in the guest room so at least she had a little bit of something to try and keep her mind off of the days events. Jimmy had went out to try and help Maya with dinner but he returned shortly with orders to keep an eye on Annie.

"How you feeling?" he asked as he sat down on the bed beside her.

Annie took a deep breath, "I would feel a lot better if I were at home or back in the motel snuggled up to you."

He smiled, "Well, the last part of that statement can be arranged just as soon as you have had some supper."

She wrinkled her nose up at the thought of food. "It would be great if I actually had an appetite."

He nodded, "It will get better. Like Maya said, you just have to keep trying."

Just then little Bennett came running into the room. "Hey Jimmy…hey Boots…" he looked up at them a little suspiciously, "Are you spending da night wif me?"

They both laughed, "It looks that way," Jimmy said. Annie winced a little from the laughter and automatically put her hand to her stomach.

Bennett furrowed his brows, "What's wrong wif her?" he asked.

Jimmy looked at the little boy seriously, "There is a baby in there," Jimmy pointed to Annie's stomach, "and her belly doesn't feel really good right now."

The boy's face lit up "Can I see?" he asked quickly.

Jimmy laughed again, but Annie was more cautious this time. "You can't see it yet because it is inside her belly."

"Well make it get out," Bennett said.

Jimmy smiled, "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that buddy. It won't come out until its ready and it will be a long time before that happens. It still has a lot of growing to do."

Bennett lifted his shirt, "I hope someday there is a baby in my belly."

This time Annie couldn't control her laughter, but it was short lived. The pain shot through her as soon as her stomach had tensed and she quickly closed her eyes and willed herself to relax. Maya appeared at the door, "She okay?"

Jimmy watched her closely but didn't answer because he wasn't sure what to say. Annie opened her eyes a second later and nodded, "I'm fine, it just hurts to laugh."

Maya nodded understandingly, "When your stomach tenses it puts pressure on that cyst, and obviously it's pretty sore."

"Yea," Annie agreed.

Maya looked to Bennett, "Alright little man, time to get you cleaned up."

"Mom, can I sleep wif Jimmy tonight?" he asked seriously.

Maya smiled but shook her head, "You have to sleep in your bed. Besides, Jimmy has to keep an eye on Annie. She is a little bit sick."

"Yea, it's cause she has a baby in her belly," Bennett said matter of factly.

Maya rolled her eyes, "Boy, you know everything don't you?"

The little boy looked at her and shrugged before running out of the room. "He is something," Jimmy exclaimed.

Maya nodded, "I hope he doesn't drive you two crazy tonight."

"He's too adorable to drive anyone crazy," Annie said smiling.

"Oh you have no idea," Maya remarked. "You've never witnessed a temper tantrum of his. Just wait, I'm sure you will find it all out for yourselves in a couple years."

Jimmy smiled but then became serious, "So Maya, do you think this baby is going to make it? I mean, I know something could still happen, but before you were telling us not to get our hopes up."

"Honestly, the baby looks pretty good. It's Annie I'm worried about. We have to keep the mother healthy to keep the baby healthy. And I know I have told you that this pain you experience isn't harming the baby, but it's not helping it either. The better you feel, and the less stressed your body is mentally and physically, the better the baby is going to be," Maya explained.

"That's another thing. You told her that she should lay down if and when she starts hurting. She says that laying down makes the pain worse," Jimmy said.

Maya nodded, "Does the pain actually intensify, or is it that your mind focused more on it because you aren't doing anything else?"

Annie shrugged, "I really feel like it gets worse. Honestly, the only position that seems to make it better and more manageable is when I am sitting down and I lean forward, almost like I am doubling over. It just feels like that relieves some of the pressure."

"That makes sense," Maya said. "You should do whatever works best for you. But my point with the laying down was to put your body at rest, at least until we can get rid of this cyst. After that, if you are just experiencing a little pain you can keep going until it reaches a certain point."

Annie and Jimmy both nodded. "Yea, if she ever learns to admit when the pain does reach a certain point," Jimmy added.

Maya smiled, "Annie, you have to realize this is not a tough man contest. We all know that your pain tolerance is much higher than most people's, but you have to learn how to surrender to the pain instead of trying to push it away."

Annie nodded, not really knowing what to say. She had spent her whole life convincing herself not to do everything that she was expected to do now, and truthfully, it was much easier said than done. She knew Jimmy got extremely aggravated at her. He didn't understand what was so hard about admitting you were hurting and giving in to the pain instead of fighting it, but that was against everything that she had ever known

Maya walked out of the room and returned shortly with two plates of food. She handed one to Jimmy and one to Annie. "Hope you like grilled chicken," she said smiling.

"It looks great…I just wish I felt hungry," Annie replied. She could feel her stomach turning already but willed herself to at least try to eat a little. She got the first few bites down okay but when she tried to swallow the fourth her stomach rebelled. She set her plate on the night stand quickly and ran for the bathroom, grimacing at the pain in her stomach as she went.

Jimmy and Maya both followed quickly. Annie heaved over the toilet, emptying everything from her stomach. She then leaned back against the tub holding her stomach and her breath as the pain shot through her. She had her eyes clenched shut and couldn't help but let a small moan escape.

"Annie, just breath and try to relax…I know it hurts," Maya said as she leaned down beside her.

Annie took quick shallow breaths. It was all she could do but finally it seemed to start helping. She willed herself to breath deeper and slower and to relax her stomach. After what seemed like forever, the pain let up enough for her to open her eyes. She seen the worried look on Jimmy's face. "I'm okay now."

He shook his head, "No…you're not. I can tell you're still hurting."

She nodded slightly, "It's not as bad though. I think I can make it back to the bed."

Maya put her hand on Annie's shoulder, "Let's just give it another minute and see if it gets any better. Is the pain different? Sharper?"

Annie shook her head a little, "I don't think so…it seems about the same as earlier." She felt the tender spot on her stomach, "It's getting more sore though. I don't know what that means."

"It's probably the cyst still leaking out. We will get you back to bed and then I will see if my machine shows anything else," Maya said.

Annie slowly rose, letting Jimmy and Maya support her so she could keep her stomach as relaxed as possible. When she was settled back in bed Maya turned the mini ultrasound machine back on and put gel on the wand. Annie flinched as she ran it over the sore spot. "It is definitely getting more sore," Maya said. "It doesn't look to be any worse though, but it's not any better either. We are just going to have to keep hoping it closes back up." Maya then ran the wand over and down a little to get a look at the baby. The machine picked up the heart beat again. "It's still a little fast, but considering the pain you were just in it's probably normal."

Annie nodded, still pretty uncomfortable from the pain. "I don't think I can eat anymore right now…no offense Maya."

"None taken. I would feel better if you could keep a little bit of something down, even if it's just water or Gatorade," Maya said. "Will you try that for me in a few minutes?"

"Yea, just give me a few minutes. My stomach is still pretty queasy at the moment."

Maya nodded as she stood. She took the plates of food, "Jimmy, you didn't eat much…are you sure you don't want anymore?"

Jimmy shook his head, "Maybe later. I'm just gonna sit with her for now."

Maya nodded and turned to take the plates back to the kitchen, "I'm gonna clean up and then I will bring some drinks. Come and get me if she gets any worse."

Annie looked to Jimmy when Maya was gone, "Jimmy, you should eat. I know you haven't had much today. You're probably starving."

"I'm fine Boots. I just want you to feel better," he ran his hand over her flushed cheek.

"Yea, that would be nice," she said closing her eyes to his touch. She rested her hand on her stomach where the pain was still coursing through. It had died down a lot compared to what it had been a few minutes ago, but it was still very present and very uncomfortable. Annie had a feeling she was in for a long night.

Maya had just finished loading the dishwasher when she heard a light knock on the door. She checked her watch and wondered who it would be at nine thirty at night. Only one person came to mind, and she prayed that she was wrong.

Sure enough, when she opened the door she came face to face with her best friend. She put a smile on her face, "Natalie, what are you doing?"

"I was on my way home, and I knew you had the night off so I figured I'd stop by. I brought a six pack. Thought we could have a drink," Natalie said smiling.

Maya let her in, not knowing what else to do. She was between a rock and a hard place and there was no way out. She was glad that she had Jimmy park in the garage, and with a lot of luck maybe Natalie would never know they were here, that is if Bennett would keep his big mouth shut.

"Why don't you go into the living room and I will be in there in a minute," Maya told her.

"Sounds good," Natalie smiled.

Maya waited for the other woman to go around the corner and then she hurried into the guest bedroom with two Gatorades. Jimmy noticed the worried look on her face immediately. "Maya, is everything okay?"

"Yea, it's fine. Annie, when you feel up to it I want you to try and drink this slowly. I don't want you to get dehydrated on top of everything else. I am going to go take care of something so if you need me call," she told Jimmy. She then motioned him to her and spoke softly so Annie wouldn't hear, "Jimmy, Natalie is here. She doesn't know you are but I don't really know what to do. She just stopped by to have a drink but I'm not sure how long she will stay. I'm gonna do my best here, but if Annie gets bad again I need to know, so this may be unpreventable."

Jimmy looked horrified but masked it quickly. "Okay, it will be fine. Just go, I will call you if things get worse."

Jimmy turned back to Annie who looked confused, "What's going on?"

Jimmy sat down on the bed, "Natalie's here." Annie's eyes widened. "She doesn't know we are though so don't get worked up. She just stopped by to visit with Maya and hopefully she won't stay long."

"Dammit, can we get any kind of a break?" she rolled her eyes and winced a little as another pain shot through. She quickly recovered, not wanting Jimmy to think it was necessary to get Maya.

Jimmy noticed this quickly, and he knew exactly what Annie was thinking, "Boots, I know this is an uncomfortable situation to say the least, but don't forget the most important thing here. If you are feeling any worse at all, Maya said it was crucial that you let her know. Don't worry about Natalie, she is going to find out sometime. We can't hide this forever, and I don't want to. I am proud that we are together and I am proud that we are going to bring a part of ourselves into the world."

Annie closed her eyes, "I know…I just…" she trailed off not really knowing what to say.

"Annie, what are you so worried about?" he asked softly.

She took a breath, "I guess I'm just worried about her reaction. When you two were…together, you and I were still pretty close. Natalie always treated me with respect and we ended up to be pretty good friends. She would even talk to me when you were having problems. And now…when she finds out about this," Annie looked to her stomach, "she's going to do the math. She is going to think that we were together while you was with her. I don't know, I just kind of feel like this is a soap opera and I'm not ready to deal with it. I just wish things were a little different."

Jimmy nodded understandingly. "We cant change the past Boots. The only thing that I wish is that I had made things more clear to Natalie a long time ago. But what's done is done, and we can't change it now. There is no sense in stressing over something we can't do anything about."

Annie knew he was right, but it didn't help matters any. She could feel the pain getting worse and she knew that unless Natalie left soon there was no way around her finding out tonight. She tried rolling over on her side and pulling her legs up towards her chest a little. That seemed to help for the time being.

In the living room Maya was sitting with Natalie, but Natalie could tell her mind was somewhere else. "Maya, is everything okay? You seem…distracted."

Maya nodded, "Yea, I'm fine. Just been a stressful day, as usual."

Natalie smiled, "Tell me about it. I didn't think this day was ever going to end. And when it finally did, I realized I was going to have to go home alone. I know it's been over a month now, but I'm still not really use to it."

"It will get better," Maya said, not really knowing how else to respond. She knew Natalie missed Jimmy even though she never really talked about it. She also knew that before they broke up for good, things had gotten pretty rotten.

"Yea, I keep telling myself that. I know that what happened was inevitable and for the best. Sometimes I still have to convince myself of that though." Natalie paused a moment before continuing, "I saw him in the hospital the other day. He seemed…happy. I think he may be seeing someone."

"How do you feel about that?" Maya asked.

Natalie shrugged, "I knew it would happen. And I thought I would be fine with it. I am in a way, but there is still a part of me that wishes we could have tried harder."

Maya nodded sympathetically, "Natalie, you tried for two years…it just wasn't meant to be. You will find someone else, someone that fits you better."

"Yea, I guess you're right. I just want what you and Jim have. Speaking of, where is Jim and Bennett?"

"Jim is suppose to be putting him to bed," Maya told her, hoping that that was the case.

"So how have you been? Any new juicy cases in the O.B. world?" Natalie asked, changing the subject.

Maya shrugged, "Same old same old. I have a couple patients that I have to keep a close eye on, and a few that are going to pop any day now. Other than that, everything's been pretty normal."

Back in the bedroom Jimmy was watching Annie closely. He could tell she was still hurting, but it was hard to tell if the pain was worse. She was good at making herself hard to read. "Annie, talk to me. Is it worse?"

Annie looked up at him, "It's about the same. It's just not letting up."

He ran his hand through his hair. "You want to try and drink this?" He held up a drink and he could swear she turned a little bit green as she shook her head. "Do you still feel queasy?"

She nodded, "Yea, just give me a few more minutes."

He set the drink down and gently climbed in the bed behind her. He laid down next to her and softly ran his fingers through her hair. "Just try and rest. Stop worrying about everything and just rest."

Annie closed her eyes, but she knew the pain would keep her awake. She willed her body to relax, but the longer she lay still, the more pain she felt. "I need to sit up," she said as she slowly rose.

"It's worse, isn't it?" Jimmy asked as he sat up with her.

Annie pulled her legs up to her chest and gently rocked back and forth. "It's just unrelenting." She put her head on her knees and silently prayed for the pain to ease. She knew Jimmy was sitting on edge already, and if this continued much longer he was going to call Maya.

Annie continued to rock, but nothing seemed to help. The pain was getting worse now, and she knew that Jimmy could tell. The one thing that Annie consistently done when she was hurting extremely bad become silent. Normally, she would tell Jimmy not to worry, that she was fine and she wasn't hurting that bad. But Jimmy had learned that when Annie stopped talking, the pain had passed a certain point. It had gotten bad enough to demand her full attention, and this is when he became very concerned. He picked up his phone without saying a word and sent Maya a text. 'She's worse', was all it said, but he knew Maya would be in quickly.

In the other room Maya's phone vibrated in her pocket. She read the message and looked back to Natalie, "I'll be right back," she said simply and then she made her way to the guest room.

When she entered she immediately became worried. "How much worse?"

Annie just shook her head. "Apparently quite a bit," Jimmy said concerned.

"Okay Annie, lay back and let's have a look." Maya got her machine back out and prepared it with the gel as she waited on it to power on.

Annie slowly lay back, wincing as she did. "It just got worse…all of a sudden. It's the same pain…it just won't let up," she whispered between breaths.

Maya shook her head, "I don't like this. I was hoping it would get better, not worse." Maya pulled Annie's shirt up and gently ran the wand over her stomach. Annie closed her eyes as she hit the sore spot. "It's still leaking, it may be a little worse than before, but not much. I still don't want to take any chances with this amount of pain though." Maya kept looking at the screen as she talked. Finally she pulled the wand away and turned the machine off. She looked to Jimmy and Annie, "I really think the safest thing to do here is to take her in to the hospital so I can hook her up on a better machine. That way we can monitor this closer."

Jimmy nodded, "Okay, just tell me what to do."

"I will go tell Jim we are heading in. But there is another issue that I'm not sure how to deal with here." Maya glanced toward the door, "Jimmy, I cannot legally say anything, but she is my best friend. I'm stuck here…but I do know we need to make a move to get Annie in pretty quickly, before she gets any worse. I need to know what you want to do?"

Annie closed her eyes again as Jimmy glanced her way. "Just tell her…I will go start the truck and pull it to the door. Or I can tell her and you can get the truck…I'm not trying to stick you in the middle of this Maya…I just don't know what to do."

"Jimmy, I'm in the middle already. It's okay, I will handle Nat, you go get the truck…and you," Maya looked to Annie, "stay put until we come and help you."

Annie nodded a little.

Maya hurried to Bennett's room to let Jim know what was going on. Then she returned to find Natalie waiting for her on the couch. "Is everything okay? You look worried?"

Maya sat down, "Natalie, Jimmy is here…with Annie."

Natalie squinted, obviously confused, "Okay…what are they doing here?"

"Annie is one of my patients. She is having a lot of problems so Jimmy brought her by earlier. She has a cyst that is on the verge of rupturing and I think we need to get her to the hospital so I can monitor it more closely. I could really use your help here, professionally. Can you handle it?"

Natalie nodded, "Yes, where is she?"

Maya took a breath, "Nat, I haven't told you everything, but I think you need to talk to Jimmy. You sure you can do this?"

"Maya, where is she?" Natalie asked worried. She wasn't thinking of the possibilities, she was just worried about Annie.

"In here," Maya said as she rose to lead Natalie to the guest bedroom.

As they walked Natalie's mind was racing. Annie had always been good to her. She had even called her to come and get Jimmy a few times after a tough case. She had talked both Natalie and Jimmy through many rough patches back when they were still together. Natalie liked and respected Annie and she knew how close her and Jimmy were. They were practically family, and Natalie had never had a problem with that before. She had also never questioned the status of their relationship before, until now that is. Natalie wondered exactly how close Annie and Jimmy really were. She shook her head, trying to clear it before they reached the room where Annie was. She needed to focus right now, and that meant pushing all personal feelings aside, no matter how disturbing they were.

Maya pushed the door open just enough to see Annie laying back with her eyes closed. She was obviously still hurting. Maya then turned back to Natalie "Listen, I don't know what kind of relationship you and Annie have, or had, but what I do know is that she needs to feel comfortable, not more stressed. I don't have time to explain everything right now, but she has been through a lot in the past couple of weeks and I'm not sure how much more she can take right now."

Natalie nodded, "Maya, you have nothing to worry about. I promise."

Maya slightly nodded, hoping she was right. She then pushed through the door and went to Annie's side. Annie opened her eyes to see the two women coming towards her. She felt the nausea worsen when she seen Natalie, but swallowed hard and tried to push it aside for now. "Okay Annie, we are going to try and get you up so we can get you to the vehicle. Are you ready?"

Annie shrugged a little and slowly rolled over to her side. She propped herself up and eased her legs off the bed. "I think I'm gonna be sick," she whispered.

Natalie grabbed the small trash can out of the bathroom. "Here you go Annie, we can take this with us."

Annie nodded and closed her eyes again, praying that she could hold the nausea off. She put her hand on her stomach and stifled a groan as another wave of pain washed over her. This time it seemed more intense than it had been. She gritted her teeth and couldn't help but tense up, which of course made it worse. Maya put her hand on Annie's shoulder, "Breathe Annie, try and relax. I know it's hard."

Annie rolled her eyes. If she could talk right now she was pretty sure that Maya wouldn't like what she had to say. She clenched her fist, closed her eyes, and let out a soft moan as the pain rocked her. "Son of a bitch," she cried out softly as Jimmy finally walked back in the room.

"What's going on Maya…" he asked as he sat down beside her, barely even acknowledging Natalie's presence.

Maya shook her head, "We need to get to the hospital Jimmy. She just keeps getting worse."

"Should I carry her? I don't think she can walk…" Jimmy trailed off as Annie started shaking her head.

"I can walk…Don't pick me up," she almost begged.

Natalie finally spoke, "I think she's afraid you will mash on her stomach if you try and pick her up. Let's just see if we can support her enough to get her in the vehicle, and when we get to the hospital I will get a gurney."

Maya and Jimmy nodded and moved to either side of Annie, both taking one of her arms. "Okay, we are going to ease you up. Just lean on us Annie, let us support you."

Annie nodded and let them slowly pull her up. She cried out and tried to double over, but Jimmy and Maya wouldn't let her. "I know it hurts Boots…just stay with me. It's gonna be okay."

Annie shook her head violently, "Jimmy, no…no. I can't stand," she pulled at him, begging him to let her lean over. "Please…just wait a minute."

He nodded and let her sink back on the bed. She leaned forward and held her stomach. Jimmy sat down beside her. "Let me carry you Boots, I promise to be careful."

Finally she nodded. He gently put his arm under her knees. "Okay, just lean into me. I've got you." She did as he said. When she was in his arms she buried her face into him, no longer caring what Natalie thought. Jimmy stood slowly and nodded at the two women. "Okay lets go. One of you drive."

* * *

Annie rode in Jimmy's lap all the way to the hospital. About halfway there the pain finally started to ease some. Jimmy felt her relax a little, "You doing okay?"

She nodded silently into his chest. When they arrived Natalie pulled the explorer up to the emergency room doors. Jimmy opted to just carry Annie in since he was already holding her. Natalie went to park the vehicle while Maya and Jimmy got Annie to a bed. "I want to take her up to my clinic. I have all the necessary machines there to monitor her and the baby," Maya said and then she led him away from Annie's bed for a moment. "Why don't I take Annie on up and you can wait on Natalie and tell her where we are going. I didn't tell her everything Jimmy. She knows Annie has a cyst that's about to rupture, but that's it. If she comes up to the clinic though, there will be no more hiding the rest. As soon as she sees the ultrasound machine she's going to know about the baby. She may assume that it's not yours, and that's fine. But Jimmy, she's my best friend, and you know me. I'm not into lying. I wont tell her that the baby is yours if you don't want me too, but I wont tell her it's not either."

Jimmy nodded and rubbed the back of his head, "I will talk to her Maya. Annie and I, we didn't do anything wrong here. Natalie may not believe that after she finds out about the baby, but I swear to you it's true. Natalie and I…we just didn't work, but I never cheated…not once."

"I believe you, but I'm not the one that matters here," Maya said. Jimmy nodded, "Okay, I will wait for Natalie and meet you up there in a minute. If Annie gets worse before I get there, call me."

Jimmy paced as he waited on Natalie. A few minutes later he seen her walking through the doors. "Where did Maya take Annie?"

"Up to her clinic. I waited on you so you would know where we'd went," Jimmy said rubbing the back of his neck. He knew he needed to tell Natalie the rest, he just didn't know where to start.

They made their way to the elevator and when the doors closed Natalie finally broke the silence. "So Jimmy, what's going on? Maya told me that she didn't have time to explain everything and that I needed to talk to you. What's wrong with Annie? Is it serious?"

Jimmy nodded a little, "It's pretty serious. Natalie, I need to tell you some things, but I need you to hear me out before you jump to any conclusions. Can you do that?"

She nodded, a little worried. "Jimmy, what's going on?"

He led her to a bench on the outside of the clinic's waiting room. He took a breath as they sat down, "As you know, Annie and I have always been close. I know her better than anyone else in the world, as she knows me the same way. There was a time, several years before you and I met, that we were more than just friends. Obviously that didn't work out. We were young and dumb and both too stubborn to work anything out, but we remained friends. We've known each other since we were kids and…well, let's just say she has trust issues and she never would completely let me in way back then. And then I met you. You were the first woman that I really gave a shot. And we worked…for a while. But the longer we dated, the more I could see that we were just too different." Natalie nodded, not really knowing where he was going. "Natalie, the last thing I want to do is hurt you. But I feel like I need to say this so just hear me out. I tried with you, I really did. And I loved you, but not the way I should. When I was sure it was over, after our last fight, we had just closed a big case. Annie was at home alone…drinking. I went to check on her and, long story short, one thing led to another. She was upset, I comforted her. And for the first time, she actually let me…"

Natalie held her hand up, her eyes a little misty, "Jimmy, I'm not sure I want to hear the rest…not right now. We broke up, and what you do now is your business. I like Annie, I always have…I don't want you to tell me something that is going to change that."

Jimmy shook his head, "Natalie, I just want you to know that I was never unfaithful to you. I didn't want you to ever think that. That's why I am telling you this. I'm not trying to hurt you, but I don't want to hide this from you and you have to find out from someone else," he paused for a minute. "Natalie, Annie's pregnant. The first night we were together, that's what happened. I just didn't want you to put together the timeline and think that anything was going on before you and I…" he trailed off as a tear slid down her face.

She shook her head a little, "Jimmy, deep down I think I have always wondered if you were really in love with her. But I always pushed it aside. I would like to tell you that I'm happy for you, but the truth is that it still hurts. I hope everything is okay with Annie, and the baby. And I am going to help Maya in any way that I can. And someday, I hope that we can all be friends again. But right now…that's about the best I can do. Now let's get in there and see how she is okay." She stood up and wiped her eyes.

Jimmy nodded and walked through the door to the clinic. The waiting room was dark and the door that led to the exam rooms was open. Jimmy and Natalie made their way back and found Maya along with a nurse in the room where Annie was laying with her eyes closed. She had one hand resting on her stomach and the other gripped the rail of the bed. "How is she?" Jimmy asked Maya as he entered the room.

"She seems a little better. I checked her with a big ultrasound machine and the cyst is still leaking some but I am still hopeful that it will seal back off in a little while. In the meantime I gave her a small dose of pain medicine to try and take the edge off. It hasn't knocked it out completely, but it does seem to help some. It will also make her a little loopy so her stress level should drop significantly. She just needs to rest now, and I will continue to monitor her," Maya said.

"Is the pain causing her to contract any?" Natalie asked, knowing that was always the main concern when it came to large amounts of pain during pregnancy.

Maya shook her head, "Not right now. The baby's heart rate is a little elevated though, so I will be watching that pretty close as well."

Jimmy walked over to her, "Hey Boots…you doin okay?"

She opened her eyes a little, "My head is spinning and I feel a little sick. The pain is not as bad though."

"I will grab a bed pan for her in case she gets sick. It's probably a side effect from the pain meds," Natalie said.

Annie opened her eyes again, "Did you tell her?" Jimmy nodded. "Is she okay?" Annie asked.

"Yea, she's worried about you," Jimmy said.

"She's a bigger woman than most," Annie said.

Natalie returned just in time with the bed pan. Annie rolled to her side and grabbed it, heaving painfully. "Thanks," she told her when she was done.

Natalie smiled a little, "You just rest now Annie. Everything is going to be fine. Don't worry okay."

Annie nodded, hearing the unspoken words in her statement. It was exactly what Annie needed to hear. She felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of her. She knew that Natalie may not be happy about the situation, but she also knew that Natalie didn't hate her. And that meant a lot. Annie closed her eyes, finally feeling a break in the pain. She didn't know if it was because of the medicine, or because she was actually getting better, but at the moment she didn't care. She was too exhausted and all she wanted right now was to sleep.

**Well, there it is! Hope you enjoy and hopefully it's enough to get you through until I can get the next chapter up!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello again! I am FINALLY getting this chapter posted but there is a better explanation as to why it has taken so long at the end of this chap. Thanks for staying with me and hanging in there! Hope you enjoy!**

Annie had slept for a solid two hours, which didn't seem like much but Jimmy was extremely thankful. As long as she was sleeping she wasn't in pain, or she wasn't feeling it anyways. Maya had given her another small dose of pain meds to try and help her rest. It had worked well, until now that is. Annie's eye brows furrowed in her sleep, a sign Jimmy knew all too well. She was hurting again, and according to Maya, she couldn't have anymore meds for a while.

Annie slowly opened her eyes. She was still exhausted but the ache in her stomach had woken her. She slowly placed her hand on the area that the pain was radiating from. It was still very tender to the touch, which probably meant the cyst was still leaking. "Hey Boots, you okay?" Jimmy's voice asked. She was a little surprised that he was still awake.

"Yea, I'm great," she said sarcastically, quickly wincing at her harsh words. She knew he meant well, but she was so tired of that one question. "I'm sorry Jimmy. I'm just…tired."

"That's understandable," he smiled. "How bad is the pain?"

She shook her head a little, "Bad enough to wake me up, but that's about it."

Just then the door opened and Maya and Natalie came in. "There was a change on the monitor, so I figured you were awake. Are you hurting again?"

Annie nodded, "Nothing like before, but yea…"

Maya pulled over the ultrasound machine, "Let's have a look," she said as she took out the gel.

Annie turned over on her back, wincing a little and rolling her eyes. "I am so sick of this."

"I know you are. I wish there was more I could do but right now I'm afraid it's a waiting game," Maya said as she raised Annie's shirt.

Annie closed her eyes as Maya touched the wand to her tender stomach. She gripped the side of the bed and tried to lay still as Maya watched the screen. "It looks better Annie. It may still be leaking a little but I believe it has almost sealed itself back up."

"Then why is she still hurting?" Jimmy asked as he watched Annie bite her bottom lip, obviously still in pain.

"Jimmy, you have to remember that this cyst is not the only pain that Annie could be feeling. Plus, she is going to be pretty tender for a few days," Maya told him. She then turned to Annie, "I know you don't want to hear this Annie, but I am going to recommend bed rest for a minimum of three days so we can be sure and let this thing get sealed back up good. After that, as long as everything looks good, you can go to restricted activity which means if you go to work, you sit at your desk and that's it. No pulling, pushing, vacuuming, walking up and down stairs, no standing for long periods of time, no lifting anything heavier than 5 lbs, no sweeping, no bending, and obviously no running or fighting."

Annie rolled her eyes, "So basically I can do paperwork."

Maya smiled, "I'm sorry, but I have to do what I think is best for you and for this baby. We have a long road ahead here and I know this seams a little over the top but you need to remember that this may be your only chance. We've heard the heart beat Annie. Right now this baby is perfect, so keeping you healthy is the key if you want to keep it that way."

Annie nodded, "I know," she said softly. She knew that Maya was right. It was just so hard especially with this case that was going on. She didn't know how she was suppose to stay in the bed while Jimmy worked. She knew he wouldn't leave her, but she also knew that he needed to work if they ever wanted this case to break.

Jimmy watched her closely, knowing her mind was on work. "It's okay Boots, you can stay in the bunks. We can still work this case, you may just have to do it from a bed."

She smiled at how well he knew her. "That's fine Jimmy, but you have to work. I can stay in the bunks, but if anything develops your going on the chase. Promise me that?"

He nodded, and then looked to Maya. "So what all does bed rest consist of?" After a second he realized his mistake, "Like can she get up at all…" he trailed off feeling his face blush a little.

Natalie felt how uncomfortable he was and turned and slipped out the door leaving Maya to explain the rest on her own.

Maya smiled, "She can get up to go to the bathroom and to take a quick shower. Other than that I want her in the bed." She then looked to Annie, "You can sit up in the bed and watch tv or read or use a computer, just don't be up running around and stressing your body any at all. If you start hurting and it feels like the cyst is leaking again I want you to call me. I am going to come by every day and check on you and when the cyst looks good and I think you're ready I will move you to restricted activity which you should expect to be on until this thing shrinks itself or until we take it out." Maya then looked back at Jimmy, "And Jimmy, to answer your question…no sex until she is off bed rest. We can revisit the subject then," Maya smiled at his red face.

"I really wasn't asking that," he stuttered. "I mean…I figured that would be out of the question."

Maya laughed. "I know Jimmy. But I usually do include no sex in the instructions, I just didn't figure you wanted to here that with…"

"Yea, I get it," he interrupted her quickly.

Maya looked back to Annie, "You think you will be able to follow these instructions?"

Annie nodded silently. There was no sense in arguing. She knew what Maya was doing was right and she knew she needed to follow the instructions no matter how bad she dreaded it. She glanced at Jimmy and noticed how tired he looked. "When can we go?" she asked Maya.

"I want to keep you here for observation tonight. If you are still okay in the morning you can leave this bed for a different one. I want you to get as much rest as possible and like I said, call me if you start hurting again. Now this coming weekend I will be out of town for a medical convention that I have to go to. If it's okay with you, I will fill Natalie in on your case and she has agreed to check in on you daily. If there is any complications she has the numbers to other OB's in the clinic that will be able to help if you need them. I will only be gone for three days and Natalie can call if she has any questions," Maya said, not sure how Annie and Jimmy would feel about Natalie watching over her while she was gone. She hated putting them in that kind of situation, but she needed someone who could go by and check on Annie every day. There were only two other obstetricians in the clinic and they would be busy taking care of their patients and hers while she was gone. Natalie happened to be off two of the three days that she would be out of town and Maya knew that Annie needed monitored closely.

Jimmy started shaking his head, "Maya, I don't know if that's such a great idea…" he started.

"I know it may be a little uncomfortable Jimmy, but she is really the only one I can depend on to monitor Annie while I'm gone. The only other option would be to bring her in every day and I don't want her out of the bed that much. I leave day after tomorrow so chances are she will still be on full bed rest," Maya explained.

"It's okay Jimmy…" Annie said. She did feel uncomfortable with the whole situation but she knew that Maya was doing the best she could and was already going to extraordinary lengths for them. "We can deal with this. As long as Natalie's okay with it I'm okay with it."

Finally Jimmy nodded. "Okay Maya."

Maya checked Annie one more time before rolling a recliner in for Jimmy to sleep on. Within the hour, both Annie and Jimmy were asleep again and Maya and Natalie found an empty room with two beds. Maya looked over at Natalie, "Thanks for doing this Nat, I know it must be hard."

Natalie nodded, thankful for the darkness in the room so that Maya wouldn't see the unshed tears in her eyes. "It is. But I do respect her…you know. When Jimmy and I were together…I just…never knew that she felt that way about him, you know? She even talked us through a couple of fights. Maya, you don't think…" she trailed off uncomfortably.

Maya sighed, "Nat, I think Jimmy was faithful to you when you two were together. I think that things just weren't meant to work out. From what I can gather, Annie and Jimmy had been fighting this thing between them for a long time."

Natalie nodded, "Did you know they were together before? A long time ago. He told me that earlier."

"I didn't know that. Did he say what happened?" Maya asked, knowing Natalie needed to talk about it.

"He said they were young and dumb. Both too stubborn to give any and that's why it didn't work out. There is something about Annie…something in her past that gets in her way. I'm not sure what it is…Jimmy didn't say. But I know there is something. He's always been…protective over her. And I never really understood why. She seems so strong," Natalie said.

Maya nodded, "You have known her longer than I have, but I think the same thing. When I told her she was pregnant, she was absolutely devastated. She kept saying that she couldn't do it. She wasn't cut out to be a mother. Said something about bad blood in her family. I really thought for a while that she may terminate, and that was killing Jimmy. But I could also tell that he knew what she was talking about. I didn't ask a lot of questions because it's not my place, but I do know what you're talking about. There is something there. Natalie…are you sure you want to do this. I can find another way. Jimmy could bring her into the clinic every day…"

"No," Natalie interrupted. "I will be fine. It may help me get over this, you know? It is hard, and part of me wants to hate both of them, but the other part of me knew they would end up together. I just didn't want to see it."

Maya nodded, "You're being a big person Nat. I don't know that I could do it. But you're right, maybe it will help you. And if it gets too uncomfortable just let me know. I can make an excuse for you and maybe I can even find a doctor to go to her while I'm gone."

"I'll be fine Maya. Thanks for worrying though. Let's get some sleep," Natalie said as she rolled over.

"Okay, talk to you in the morning," Maya sighed.

* * *

Annie tossed and turned all night, waking up several times from the pain her movement caused. She was dreaming of Jess, of her father, of Diablo and the little girl that had ended up at the office. She couldn't get them out of her head. She was thankful that she wasn't hurting so much anymore, but she was still unable to get much sleep. Jimmy had woken with her a few times, saying that she was talking in her sleep. Finally he squeezed in the bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her and soothing her back to sleep. After that, they both slept good for a couple hours until Maya came in at 6:30.

When Maya entered the room and found Jimmy with his arms around Annie in the bed, she was thankful that Natalie had went on home to get ready for her work day. She knew Natalie was strong and had her mind set on helping, but she was also glad that Natalie didn't have to see them like this.

Jimmy opened his eyes first when he heard Maya come in. He gently scooted out of the bed and straightened his clothes. "She had dreams all night. She wasn't hurting but she still didn't sleep much."

Maya nodded, "That's understandable, with the case you're working and the psycho that's targeting her. I don't know how you do it. I would never be able to sleep if I had to hunt down the people you do every day."

Jimmy nodded, "Yea…if you only knew," he whispered looking at Annie.

"Jimmy, what's going on with her? I mean, I know this is a hard case, but it's not that. And it's really none of my business, but she kept talking about bad blood in her family when she first found out about this baby. And you don't have to tell me anything, but if this is something she is still upset about, she needs to talk about it with someone. She is already under enough stress with everything else going on," Maya explained.

Jimmy nodded, "I know." He rubbed his hand over his face, "She just…has a past that is hard for her to deal with. She lost her mother when she was eight and…let's just say her father wasn't much of a father. She had a difficult time growing up. And in the back of her mind she is afraid that she will end up like her father. But she worries for no reason. She's a good person, and nothing can ever change that."

Maya nodded, "Sounds like she is worrying for nothing."

"Yea…try telling her that," Jimmy said as he watched Annie. She finally squirmed a little, opening her eyes suddenly after reaching out and finding no Jimmy beside her. She had a startled look on her face, and Jimmy immediately knew that she'd had another dream. He stepped closer and grabbed her hand, "It's okay Boots, I'm right here."

She quickly masked her feelings and tried to recover from the emotions the dream had stirred. In the dream, she had been tied helplessly to a chair and forced to watch Diablo beat her father, exclaiming that he was going to continue until he felt like he had gotten even with Annie over what she had done to his own father. Then when she thought it was finally over, Diablo's father had entered the dream with Jimmy in tow, holding a gun to his head and commenting that she was about to find out what it felt like to lose the love of her life. Just as she saw his finger start to squeeze the trigger, she started awake, instinctively reaching out to Jimmy.

"What is it Annie? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

She nodded and ducked her head down, quickly swiping the tears away. "Damn dreams."

Maya gave her a moment to compose herself before stepping forward. "Annie, how was the pain last night? Did it wake you up anymore?"

Annie shook her head, "Only when I would move. It's pretty sore."

Maya nodded, "Yea, it's probably going to be sore until it's gone, or until it gets smaller anyways. I am going to check you again with the machine and as long as everything looks good I'm gonna release you. I figured if you two were going to the bunks at your office you would want to get there before it got real busy."

Annie smiled a little, "Yea, definitely."

An hour later Jimmy was pulling into the garage of the HEAT building. He had stopped and gotten him and Annie some breakfast but she didn't even get three bites down before she got sick. He'd had to pull over twice so far and by the looks of it, she was about to get sick again. She rested her head on the back of the seat, breathing deep and trying hard to get control of the nausea. Her stomach was on fire from retching and she wasn't sure if she could handle another round of it without losing it.

Jimmy put the vehicle in park and turned to Annie, watching her closely. "You gonna make it?"

She shook her head and stayed silent, keeping her eyes closed. After a solid minute she finally opened her eyes and took a few more deep breaths. "This sucks. I get so hungry but every single time I eat anything it doesn't stay down for ten minutes. When exactly is this suppose to get any better?" she asked softly.

Jimmy shrugged, "Maya doesn't seem all that concerned about it but I am. How long has it been since you have kept anything down?"

Annie shrugged, "With everything else going on I don't really remember. I know I threw up breakfast yesterday morning…and dinner last night. Luke brought in food for the little girl yesterday afternoon and the smell of it made me sick." She continued to think, "It's been a while Jimmy. It doesn't really bother me too much but I'm sure it's not good for the baby."

"We'll talk to Maya later whenever she comes by. For now, let's get you back to bed," Jimmy said as he got out and came around to help her.

Annie opened the door and waited on Jimmy. She would have normally piled out on her own, but Maya wasn't lying when she said that Annie would be sore. Sore was the understatement of the year. She felt more like there was a knife in her stomach and every time she moved it twisted a little bit, hurting enough to force a painful cry from Annie most of the time. She leaned on Jimmy when he got to her and slowly let herself slide out of the explorer. She held her breath to keep from crying out when she accidentally tightened her stomach as she moved.

"Lean on me Boots, let me support you," Jimmy said as he put his arm around her.

Just then Marco pulled in and parked, coming over to them. "Can I help?" he asked as he seen the painful look on Annie's face.

"I think she is okay to walk. She is just really sore." Jimmy explained about the cyst and the rough night they'd had.

After Jimmy got Annie situated in a bed in the bunks, he went out to get her computer and get him some much needed coffee. He almost bumped into the chief as he came out of the lounge. "Hey Jimmy," the chief said. "How's the case coming. I came to talk to Annie but she must not be in yet."

"We are still working trying to catch a break," Jimmy explained. "These two fugitives are really good at covering their tracks."

The chief nodded, "Yea, it seems that way. Tell Annie when she gets time that I would like a report of any progress and if this thing goes cold again we have plenty of other warrants piling up. I have transferred some cases over to HPD so that we can stay on this case but I think they are getting pretty piled up as well. I know this case is top priority but we can't forget about the rest of the criminals out there either."

Jimmy nodded, "I'll look at the warrants and if there are any that need immediate attention I'll put Daisy and Luke on them at least until we can catch another break."

"Okay, I'll be in my office if you need me. And I will be waiting on that report," the chief said as he walked off.

Jimmy sighed. He knew that they needed to fill the chief in about Annie's situation pretty soon. He was probably going to blow a fuse but it would be even worse if they put it off much longer.

When Jimmy walked back into the bunks he found Annie asleep. He was relieved. He knew she was still exhausted. He set a Gatorade down on the table next to the bed along with her computer and a note to call him when she woke up. He set her cell beside the note and walked out.

A little while later Daisy, Luke, and Marco were gathered in the briefing room. Jimmy went in and shut the doors. He sat down at the head of the table and rubbed a hand over his face. "You look exhausted," Daisy said as she noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"Yea, rough night. The cyst in Annie's stomach was leaking which was causing her a great deal of pain. We spent the night in Maya's clinic while she monitored her closely. It finally sealed itself back off but she is extremely sore. Maya put her on full bed rest for a few days to make sure it's not gonna leak anymore right now, and after that Annie will be on restricted activity until the cyst shrinks or until she reaches the second trimester and then Maya will go in and remove it."

Marco sighed, "What exactly does restricted activity mean?"

"Basically that she can just sit at her desk and do paperwork. She can't be on her feet a lot. She can't lift anything. No pushing, pulling, or stressing her body in any other way," Jimmy explained.

"Wow, she's gonna go crazy," Daisy said.

"She already is," Jimmy said shaking his head. "She had dreams all night long about this case. She hasn't held any food down at all since the day before yesterday. And right now she is asleep again in the bunks. I left a note for her to call when she woke up."

"Is there anything we can do?" Luke asked.

Jimmy nodded, "I want us to go through all of the warrants that have piled up. Make sure there isn't any that need our immediate attention. If there is, I want Luke and Daisy on it. You can let us know if you need any help. I'm gonna make some calls and go through everything on this case again…make sure we didn't miss anything."

They all nodded and got up to start working. About an hour later Jimmy's cell rang. Annie was awake. When he walked in he seen her sitting on the edge of the bed with her feet on the floor. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I gotta pee," she said matter of factly.

He nodded, "Okay, let me help you up." He took both of her arms and slowly helped her rise. She winced a little, but hid the pain pretty well. "Have you hurt anymore?"

"Not like last night. It's pretty much just sore," she said as they went into the bathroom. Jimmy led her to the stall with the bars on each side of the stall wall. He closed the door and waited on her to finish. "This is so embarrassing. I can't even go to the bathroom by myself," she said as she came out of the stall."

Jimmy smiled, "I am kind of liking you having to depend on me. I feel needed."

Annie rolled her eyes, "Yea? Well I feel needy."

Jimmy stepped to her, more serious now. He put a finger under her chin and lifter her face until their eyes met. "Annie, I love you. You have been strong your whole life. You have never depended on anyone. It's okay to be needy sometimes, especially when it's out of your control. This is not your problem," he put his hand lightly on her stomach, "It's our problem, and we will get through it. Just don't be stubborn. Let me help you."

She nodded slightly as he still held her face. He then leaned in and softly kissed her. She put her hand behind his head and pulled him down to her, deepening the kiss. He finally pulled back and rested his forehead on hers, "We have to stop…Maya said bed rest doesn't include what that is about to lead to."

She smiled, her lips slightly swelled from their kiss, "Yea, I guess you're right…unfortunately."

Jimmy helped her back to bed. "I'm gonna go to your apartment and grab you some more clothes. I'm sure you will want a shower later, and the only clean clothes you have here are work clothes."

She nodded, "Jimmy…" he paused at the door and looked back at her, "I love you too."

He smiled as he turned and walked out. He didn't bother telling her about the chief yet. He figured she didn't need the stress at the moment.

A few hours later Jimmy pulled in at Annie's apartment. He made his way up and dug out his key to her place. As he went to put it into the lock, he noticed that the door wasn't all the way shut. "What the hell?" he said to his self as he instinctively grabbed his gun. He pulled out his phone and called Marco, "I need some back up at Annie's apartment. The door was open…I'm going on in so come on." He disconnected before Marco could ask any questions or tell him to wait for backup.

Jimmy then pushed the door all the way open and carefully made his way into the apartment. He listened for any kind of movement, but there was only silence. It was an eerie silence, like there was something waiting for him. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he made his way further in. He cleared the living room and kitchen first. But as he made his way toward the master bedroom the feeling that he wasn't alone got stronger. He slowly pushed the bedroom door open, and his heart dropped at what he seen.

Jess was tied to the corners of the bed. She was naked and had several stab wounds on her body. Jimmy stepped a little closer, careful not to contaminate any evidence. And then something caught his eye. At first he thought he was imagining it, but then it happened again. Her chest rose very slowly and then fell again. She was still alive! Jimmy rushed toward her, momentarily dropping his guard. Out of nowhere Jimmy heard a whooshing sound and then felt more than heard a very hard object collide with the back of his head. The last thing he saw was the floor as he collapsed. Then everything went black.

**Okay…I know what you all are thinking…you can't believe I left you with that big of a cliffhanger! But rest assured that I almost have the next chapter done…that's why it has taken so long for me to post. I didn't want to leave you hanging for long! I will have the next one up within a few days barring some kind of disaster! **


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys, as usual I am so sorry about the wait. The power cord on our lap top broke and we have a very hard time getting it to work to keep the computer charged. Life has been too hectic to get anywhere to get a new one yet. Also, my 2 year old has tore the space bar off of the keyboard because his daddy can't seem to remember to close the computer when he's finished with it, so it has made typing rather slow and difficult! I haven't been able to start the next chapter yet, so no promises on when it will be finished. I did try to end this chap in a good place so that you all wouldn't be chewing your nails off waiting on the next one! Please look over the mistakes, I didn't proof read much because I wanted to get this thing up before the computer dies! As always, thanks for all the reviews, and I hope everyone is doing well. Please enjoy and I will hopefully talk to you all soon!**

Chapter 25

Marco, Daisy, and Luke rushed into Annie's apartment. They had tried Jimmy's cell several times but had gotten no answer. "Jimmy," Daisy yelled as she entered the apartment.

"I don't see him," Marco yelled back.

"Bedroom," Daisy said quickly as they made their way towards it. They both had their guns pointed inside as they pushed through the door.

"Oh my God," Daisy exclaimed as she took in the scene. Then she felt all of her breath leave her as she seen Jimmy's feet sticking out from the other side of the bed. She rushed to him, Marco close behind her. She couldn't see any wounds on him but he was deathly still and his eyes were closed. Daisy slowly knelt, placing her fingers on his neck and praying for a pulse.

She felt the tears streaming down her face as she looked back up to Marco, "He's alive," was all she could say.

By now Luke had joined them, and both men let out the breath that they had been holding. Daisy pulled her radio out and called for an ambulance. Then she looked back at Jimmy and said his name loudly, not wanting to shake him in case he had an injury that she couldn't see. After what seemed like forever she seen his eyes start to flutter open.

"Daisy?" he asked as he tried to focus on her.

"Yea, it's me," she smiled.

He reached for the back of his head painfully, and then suddenly he looked back to Daisy. "What about Jessica? Is she alive?"

Daisy furrowed her brows, "Jimmy…her throat is slit. She's gone."

Jimmy shook his head as he sat up. "She was alive," he said angrily. Then his hand flew back up to his head as he felt the room spinning.

"Jimmy, take it easy. You took a hard hit," Daisy said.

"Daisy, he's right…the body's still warm," Marco said as he felt of Jessica's skin.

"Damn Jimmy…what the hell were you thinking. They could have killed you. I don't really understand why they didn't," Daisy said angrily.

Jimmy shrugged, "Neither do I. I can't believe I let my guard down, but I seen her chest rise and fall and…everything was so quiet. I thought she was alone. How long has it been since I called you Marco?"

Marco looked at his phone, "Nineteen minutes and counting."

Jimmy nodded, "There's a security camera at the front door of the building. We need the footage along with the footage of the ATM machine across the street. We may be able to track what direction they went in and use traffic cameras to try and follow them. They may not be far from here right now. They could even still be watching the building."

Luke nodded, "I'm on it."

A minute later several sets of sirens were heard outside. Against Daisy and Marco's advice, Jimmy had went into the living room and sat down on the couch. He still felt really dizzy but was adamant about not going to the hospital. He was more worried about Annie than anything else. "Mr. Godfrey, we really need to check you out," one of the EMTs told him.

"Give me a minute," Jimmy told him. He looked around for Daisy. He went to stand up and had to sit back down due to a bad dizzy spell. Daisy rushed over to him when she seen this. "Jimmy, you need to go to the hospital and get checked out. You probably have a concussion."

"Daisy, can you go back to Annie? She needs someone with her that knows about her situation. I know Bouf is there if she needs anything but I'd feel a lot better if you would go," Jimmy pleaded.

Daisy nodded, "I'll go to Annie, you go to the hospital and make sure all of your brains are still there."

Jimmy rolled his eyes, "I'll go get checked out, just because maybe they can give me something to help with the dizziness, but I'm not staying! Call me if Annie starts hurting. And, unless it's completely unavoidable, don't tell her about any of this yet. I'll be there as quick as I can."

"I'll try, but Marco called Bouf on the way here and told him to check on Annie. I'm not sure what else he said so Bouf may have already spilled some of the beans," Daisy told him.

Jimmy nodded, gently rubbing the back of his neck. His head was throbbing and the room would spin every time he would try to stand up. It seemed to be getting worse instead of better, and the light really hurt his eyes, all classic signs of a concussion.

The EMTs got Jimmy down to the ambulance and finally convinced him that the only way they could help him was to take him in and let a doctor do a CT scan to make sure there was no permanent damage. Then they would give him some pain medicine and if everything checked out he would probably be able to leave. "There is no probably about it," Jimmy exclaimed. "I'm leaving there as soon as they make my head quit spinning." Jimmy laid back and tried to relax while the EMTs monitored his blood pressure and checked his eyes. Just then a thought crossed his mind. He should probably text Annie and tell her he would be there in a little bit so at least she would know he was okay if Bouf had told her anything. Come to think of it, it kind of seemed funny that she hadn't called him by now. He reached down in his pocket, and then he understood why…his phone was gone.

Annie laid in the bed and tried to concentrate on her computer screen. The pain had picked up a little since earlier. However, instead of the sharp stabbing pain she had felt last night, it was the dull constant cramp from the endometriosis that she knew all too well. Laying down like this may help keep the cyst from leaking, but it made the endo pain worse, or at least much more noticeable anyways. Her phone vibrated, jarring her from her thoughts. She picked it up. It was a message from Jimmy.

"How r u?" it read.

She smiled as she typed back, "B btr if u were here."

A few seconds later she got a response, "That can be arranged." She rolled her eyes but before she could think of a response her phone buzzed again. "What would you do if I was there?"

Annie smiled a little. There was plenty of thing that came to her mind, all of which were not included on the list of things she could do on bed rest. There was no rule against teasing though. She laughed a little to herself as she typed, "Well, if we could find another bathtub…"

"Sounds like someone's a dirty girl…" he replied.

She laughed again, "U have no idea…"

A few moments later he replied again, "How r u really?"

She sighed and began typing, "A lil pain but it from endo not cyst. I wish I could get up n I'd feel btr."

Her phone buzzed again. "I c…still having bad dreams?"

She furrowed her brows a little, "Cant dream if u dont slp."

After a minute Annie sat her phone back on the table beside the bed. As soon as she turned back to the computer it buzzed again, but this time it was ringing. She looked at the caller ID and seen Jimmy's name on the display. She hit the answer button, "Yes dear," she said in a sexy voice.

For a minute no one spoke, "Jimmy, are you there?" she asked.

She heard a breath, "Jimmy's not able to talk right now," an eerie voice said.

Annie felt like her heart stopped beating as she immediately recognized the voice. The hairs on her neck were standing on end and her voice shook when she finally spoke. "How did you get that phone?"

"I pried it out of your boyfriend's cold hands."

Annie felt the tears stinging her eyes, "You're lying you sick son of a bitch."

"Am I," Diablo said on the other end. "Why don't you call one of your friends and see. They'll tell you otherwise. Sweet dreams Annie." Then he was gone.

Annie's hands were shaking as she dialed Marco's number. Bouf walked in right before she hit send. He immediately noticed how pale and shaken she was. "Annie…are you okay?"

She shook her head violently as she put the phone to her ear. It went straight to voicemail which just made her panic more. Bouf had never seen her like this before. He rushed to her and sat down on the bed. "Annie, talk to me…"

"Jimmy…something happened." She threw the covers off of her and pushed the sharp pain away as she jumped out of the bed.

Bouf jumped up with her and grabbed her arms, forcing her to be still. "What makes you think that Annie?"

"Diablo…just called…from his phone," she cried as she jerked away from him. "I have to go."

"Annie, the rest of the team went to him. Let me call one of them," Bouf took out his phone and started to dial.

"They aren't answering…and I'm not waiting." She rushed to the door, but before she got there she put her hand over her mouth as she felt the bile rise. She quickly grabbed the trash can and heaved into it. Before she could put it down and get out the door, Maya rushed in.

"What's going on? I heard you yelling from down the hall," Maya noticed the tears streaming down Annie's face.

"Jimmy…I have to go," Annie tried to push through but Maya stood her ground.

"Annie, stop," she said sternly. "What happened to Jimmy?"

"I don't know," she cried, finally crumbling. Maya caught her before she went to the floor. Bouf helped Maya get her back to the bed. "Please, just let me go," Annie cried weakly.

Maya looked at Bouf, "What the hell is going on?"

Bouf half shrugged, "All I know is Jimmy called Marco from Annie's place and requested back up. Marco called me when they were on the way and told me to check on Annie in the bunks. They had tried to call Jimmy on his cell and they couldn't get him."

Annie tried to get up again but Maya pulled her back down, "Annie, you have to calm down…I'm sure he's fine."

Annie shook her head again, "He has his phone…"

"Who?" Maya asked confused.

"Diablo," Bouf said.

Maya squinted her eyes, "The guy they are trying to catch? The one that is after Annie?"

"Yea," Bouf confirmed.

"Maya, please let me go," Annie cried. She didn't have the strength to physically win the fight, but she was still giving all that she had.

"Annie, calm down and I will see if I can find something out. Can you do that?" Maya asked.

Finally Annie nodded. She sank back on the bed and pulled her knees to her chest. She buried her head and sobbed silently.

Maya took Annie's phone and just as she found Daisy's number she heard someone coming down the hall. Daisy rushed in a second later and immediately went to Annie. She pulled her into a hug as she sank down on the bed beside her. "He's okay Annie. He's okay." Daisy rocked back and forth as Annie cried.

"Where is he?" Annie asked.

"He went to the hospital. He took a hard hit to the back of the head but he's going to be fine. The only way he'd go get checked out is if I came here to you," Daisy told her.

"Diablo called me…" Annie sobbed, "from Jimmy's phone. I thought he was…"

"Sshh, I know. He's okay. I promise," Daisy soothed.

"I need to go to him. Please Daisy," Annie pleaded.

Daisy shook her head, "He will be here as soon as they clear him. He wants you to stay put. Luke and Marco are getting security footage from your apartment right now. He left less than fifteen minutes before we got there so they are going to try and see which direction Diablo was headed. Jimmy wants you to stay put because for all we know Diablo is sitting outside waiting on you to make a move."

Annie felt nauseas again, "I'm gonna be sick."

Maya grabbed the trash can and quickly handed it to her. Annie heaved painfully but she didn't have anything to throw up. When she was finally finished Maya looked at her closely, noticing how her eyes and cheeks were sunk in. "Annie, when is the last time you ate?"

Annie shrugged and shook her head, "Nothing stays down over ten minutes. I can't help it…I've tried."

Maya shook her head, "Have you drank?"

"Jimmy left a Gatorade on the table, but it hasn't stayed down either," Annie ran her hands over her hair. She was more worried about Jimmy than she was about herself at the moment.

"Annie, you're dehydrated, not to mention that your blood pressure is probably through the roof. Are you hurting?" Maya asked.

Of course she was hurting. Throbbing actually…but she hadn't noticed until now. "Maya I can't do this right now. I can't talk about how I'm feeling. I just…I need to talk to Jimmy." Annie's mind went back to the text messages that she had received before Diablo had actually called her. She had thought she was talking to Jimmy…she grabbed her phone to see what all she had said.

One text stuck out…he had asked about her bad dreams. Annie looked at Maya horrified. "Was anyone else able to get into your clinic last night?"

Maya thought for a moment, "I guess that it's possible. Why?"

Annie held up her phone to show her the text. "He knew about my dreams."

Daisy was confused, "What are you talking about Annie?"

"Last night…at Maya's clinic, I had dreams…nightmares actually…all night," Annie said quietly, not comfortable sharing personal information like that.

Daisy nodded, "You think he was in the clinic?"

Annie shrugged, "How else would he know?"

Maya pulled out her phone, "I will call and have the security footage pulled."

Annie's mind went back to Jimmy, particularly how close she came to losing him. "What the hell was he thinking? He knew there was a risk or he wouldn't have called for backup. He must have had his weapon drawn…I don't understand how Diablo overtook him. Why didn't he just shoot him?" She was filled with questions that only Jimmy could answer, and her fear had quickly turned to anger.

Daisy looked at her, "I'm sure it was more complicated than that Annie." Daisy knew Annie would understand once she knew the whole story but Jimmy had asked her to keep the details to a minimum so she was doing just that.

Annie shook her head, another tear escaping and gliding down her red cheek, "He could have killed him Daisy. Honestly, I don't know why he didn't." She was crying again now.

"Neither do I, but all that matters is that Jimmy's going to be okay. We will figure the rest out as we go," Daisy told her.

The ambulance finally made it to the hospital with Jimmy. His head was still spinning but all he could think about was Annie. "I really need a phone," he told one of the EMTs.

"I understand sir, but we need to get you checked out before you do anything. We can call your emergency contact if you want," the man told him.

Jimmy shook his head, "I NEED a phone. NOW!" He was starting to get irate as he was being taken from the ambulance.

"We will see what we can do," the man finally told him.

As soon as a doctor met them and the ER doors the EMT told him about Jimmy's desperation to make a phone call. The doctor nodded and turned to Jimmy. "Sir, I understand that you want to call someone, and I promise that as soon as we get you situated we will bring you a phone." The doctor took out a small flashlight and tried to check Jimmy's eyes.

Jimmy swatted at the light, "I don't think you understand doctor. You are not checking me out until I get to make a phone call."

Finally the doctor nodded, "Okay sir. Let me see what I can do." The doctor disappeared and was back a minute later with a wireless phone.

"Thank you," Jimmy said as he grabbed it and dialed Annie's number.

Daisy answered the phone. "How is she?" Jimmy asked immediately.

"Worried, hold on and I will put her on," Daisy said.

"Jimmy?" Annie asked, her voice cracking.

"Hey Boots. You doing okay?" he asked, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"No Jimmy…I'm not. Are you okay? What the hell happened?" she cried.

"I'm fine. I just have to get checked out really quick and then I will be there. Don't worry though…I'm fine." Jimmy took a breath, "I lost my cell phone so I couldn't call you sooner"

"Yea…I know," Annie said simply. "He…he called me Jimmy. I thought you were…" she couldn't finish.

"Boots…I'm fine. Really. I'm gonna let the doctors do their tests and then I will be there. You concentrate on staying calm and taking care of yourself and my baby until I get there okay?"

Annie took a breath to try and stop more tears from coming, "Okay."

"Let me talk to Daisy for a minute," Jimmy said.

Annie handed the phone to Daisy. "Yea Jimmy," she said into the phone.

"Daisy, she said he called her. I'm sure she didn't think to see if Bouf could trace it," Jimmy told her.

"I'm on it Jimmy," she said.

"How is she really? Is she hurting?" he asked.

Daisy sighed, "Honestly Jimmy…I'm not sure. Maya is here though. You just get checked out and I will call Luke and Marco and tell one of them to pick you up in little while."

After Jimmy disconnected he turned back to the doctor. "How long as this going take doc?"

The doctor shrugged and pulled his light back out. He checked Jimmy's eyes, "Your pupils are equal and reactive. I want to get a CT scan just to be safe and on account of how long you were out I would really like to keep you here for observation for a few hours…but I see that last part may be a problem. Tell you what…if the scan looks good and you aren't experiencing anymore dizziness I will release you if you promise to come back if you have any problems."

Jimmy nodded, "That sounds good…let's get started."

Back in the bunks Daisy was telling Bouf about the phone call and that he should be ready to trace any more calls that Annie may receive. He went on his way to see about tracing the call she had already received.

Daisy walked back over to find Maya with her little ultrasound machine out. Annie was quiet, but there was something about her that was making Daisy uneasy. Daisy also noticed how worried Maya looked. "Is something wrong Maya?"

Maya looked to Daisy and shrugged a little, walking over to her so that she could speak without Annie overhearing. "I'm just surprised that she's not in a substantial amount of pain at the moment. Considering how much stress she has went through in the last hour or so, and that's usually when the pain flares up"

"She's probably in shock," Daisy said. "She's never been this close to losing him before. It's usually her that takes the stupid risks and nearly gets herself killed."

Annie sat up in the bed with her back against the wall. Her stomach was in a huge knot and the pain from earlier had tripled. She was doing good at hiding it though. The last thing she needed right now is for Maya and Daisy to know she was hurting. If something was wrong with Jimmy and they didn't release him she was going to him come hell or high water. She knew they could stop her, and they would if they knew about the pain. But she also knew she could throw a big enough fit that they would let her go as long as they thought she wasn't hurting.

Daisy sat down beside her, "Annie, are you okay? Can I get you anything?"

Annie shook her head, "I'm fine," she said shortly.

"How about pain…are you hurting?" Maya asked.

"No," she said a little too quickly.

Maya sighed, "Annie, don't lie to me. I see how tense you are. I'll make you a deal. You tell me the truth, and if Jimmy has to stay overnight I will personally take you to him, even if you are hurting."

Annie was shocked on how Maya had figured her out so quickly. She still stuck with her lie a moment longer, "I'm fine Maya…really."

Maya pursed her lips and shook her head, "No…you're stubborn. You may be able to hide from everyone else, but I see pain every day. There aren't many people who can hide it like you, but I have seen a few. I can see it in your eyes, in the way you subtly clench your jaw, the way you rock back and forth every few minutes. It's my job to notice these things, just like it's your job to try and hide them. We are both great at our jobs, which is why I know that you are hurting pretty damn bad right now. Otherwise, these subtle signs wouldn't be there at all."

Annie slowly nodded after a few seconds, "Okay, but it's really not that bad. It's the endometriosis, I'm pretty sure. It's been building up all day."

Maya turned on her small machine, "Let's check it out and make sure." She applied some gel to the small wand and Annie laid down and raised her t-shirt. Maya looked at the cyst and then listened to the baby's heartbeat before she smiled, "The cyst look to still be sealed up, and this little one's heart is beating perfectly. Annie, right now everything looks great. That doesn't mean you're off the hook yet though. We are going to stick with the bed rest for a few days and make sure everything stays like it is now. As for the endo pain, there's not much I can do and I hate that. I don't like that you're hurting at all."

Annie shook her head, "I can handle it. I'm use to it by now."

Maya's phone rang suddenly. She flipped it open after glancing at the caller id. "Hello…yea I'm with her…she's fine and the baby's fine, she's hurting but it's not the cyst it's the endometriosis…okay that's great, thanks so much for calling." Maya hung up and looked to Annie and Daisy, "That was Natalie, she heard that Jimmy was in the ER and checked on him. She said he was worried about you so she called to check on you for him. She also said that his scan was rushed and came back clean so after about an hour of observation he should be headed here. She told his doctor that she and I would keep an eye on him. He is going to need to be woken up every few hours tonight and checked, just as a safety precaution. His pupils needs checked and he will need to answer a few simple questions."

Daisy nodded, "I can stay and handle that."

"I can do it Daisy, I'll be here anyways," Annie said. She really just wanted it to be her and Jimmy. She needed to be able to fall apart in his arms. She needed to feel him against her, to feel him hold her. She didn't like showing how vulnerable she felt, especially in front of anyone but Jimmy.

Daisy smiled, "I think you need to rest as much as does. I don't have anything better to do anyways."

Maya cut in, "I really think that's a good idea Annie. If something was to happen with you or with Jimmy and you need to get to the hospital, someone needs to be here to drive."

Annie finally nodded. She knew she wasn't going to win this argument so she may as well give up now. Her stomach was still in knots and a little on the queasy side and her head was starting to hurt, probably from the lack of food. She ran a shaky hand through her hair and laid down onto the bed.

Maya noticed her shakiness and went back to her bag. She pulled out a bag of IV fluids and came back to the bed. "I'm gonna hook you up on some fluids since you can't keep anything down. It will help for now but I still want you to try and eat every time you feel up to it."

Annie nodded and closed her eyes as Maya stuck her with the needle. All she wanted at the moment was to see Jimmy. She was so tired but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until he was here with her. 'One more hour', she thought to herself. She would just have to keep it together one more hour and then he would be here and hold her and tell her everything would be okay.

**Well, there you go. I hope you enjoyed and I tried to end in a good spot so I wouldn't leave anyone on edge! I will do my best to hurry the next chapter along but until I get a power cord and new space bar for this computer, no promises! Take care and hang in there!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Well...I'm back. I know it's been years and I know I promised to finish this story and then life got super complicated and the story kinda fell to the waste side. And then Chase got canceled and my head just wasn't in it. But my Chase fetish recently returned and the only way to fulfill it was to get back into fanfiction so...here it is. Please let me know if any of you are still out there and wanting more of this story. I don't own any of the Chase characters and all mistakes are my own. Also, I am kinda rusty on uploading documents so if something messes up let me know in a review and I will do my best to fix it!**

An hour later Annie was getting very impatient. She still felt extremely nauseous even though she hadn't eaten any solid food for several hours. Maya had hooked her up to a bag of fluids that was now depositing the last few drops into her vein, and she felt a little stronger but not necessarily better. She wanted Jimmy, and she wanted him now. Daisy could tell she was getting more and more frustrated with every passing minute. She pulled her cell out of her pocket as she slipped out the door escaping the bunks. "Marco, what the hell is taking so long?" she asked when he answered. "We are about to pull into the garage now. We hit a little glitch when Jimmy tried to walk out of the hospital ama and almost passed out. He's still a little off, but they finally released him since he was obviously going to leave no matter what they told him. How's Annie doing?" Daisy shook her head, "How do you think? She is worried sick." Marco sighed, "Well, we are on our way in the building, see ya in a minute."

Daisy walked back into the bunks as Maya was putting a bandaid on Annie's arm she had just removed the needle. "That should tide you over for a while, but I want you to try and eat something soon." Annie shook her head and turned a little more pale if that was even possible, "Just the thought of food makes me wanna puke. I cannot eat right now. Just please, let me wait on Jimmy."

"He just pulled up. He'll be in here in just a minute," Daisy informed the two women. Annie perked up a little and tried to sit up, wincing as her stomach tightened. "Annie, just stay down, he's almost here," Maya said as she put a hand on her shoulder. Just then the door opened and a rough looking Jimmy walked in. As soon as he laid eyes on Annie she started to tear up, all of her pent up emotions quickly resurfacing. He made his way to her bed and slowing sit down. "It's okay Boots, I'm here." He leaned over and took her into his arms. She was shaking as she grabbed onto him. Tears were streaming now and uncontrolled sobs escaped. "Don't ever...do that to me again. I thought…" she trailed off unable to finish. "Sshh, I know, I know. I'm sorry...so sorry. It's okay now. Calm down Annie," he held her for several minutes before he felt her begin to pull herself together.

She was aching now, the pain starting to grip her as she unconsciously moved her hand over her stomach. This didn't go unnoticed by anyone. Jimmy pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "You need to rest Annie. Your overstressed and you're hurting. I'm not going anywhere." She nodded, closing her eyes to the pain and the stares.

Jimmy rose slowly and went to Maya, pulling her across the room. "Maya, how is she?" Maya shook her head, "As good as to be expected I guess. She was dehydrated so I gave her some fluids but that will only help for a little while. She needs to eat soon, but first she needs to rest. She's obviously in a substantial amount of pain, which I'm sure is caused from the stress. I can give her something to help her rest but I think you staying with her right now is going to be the best medicine. How are you, still having any dizzy spells?"

He shook his head, "Not since the hospital. I'll be fine, I'm more worried about her." "I know you are Jimmy, but you have to take care of yourself too. Why don't you lay down with her for a while? I'm gonna run to the hospital and grab a few supplies and then I will be back to check on both of you. Daisy can wake you in a while to make sure you are doing okay."

Jimmy nodded as he motioned Daisy to them. "Bouff get anything from the cell phone?" Daisy shook her head, "Diablo had turned it off by the time Bouff looked into it. What about Marco and Luke?"

"They were headed to Bouff to go through security footage from Annie's apartment. I'm not holding my breath though. He's too smart to let us see anything that he doesn't mean for us to." Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck, trying to soothe the tension the headache had caused. He then walked back over to Annie as Maya and Daisy made their way out the door.

She scooted over to make room for him in the bed. He crawled in beside her and took her back into his arms. She put her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. He could tell by her tenseness that she was still in pain. "Just try to relax Annie, let me know if it gets worse."

She nodded and did what he said. Within a few minutes she was lightly dozing. The pain was still very much present but exhaustion won out in the end. Jimmy felt her relax more and more and before he knew it Daisy was waking him. "Hey cowboy, how ya feelin?" she asked quietly so she wouldn't wake the still sleeping Annie.

He wiped his eyes, careful not to move too much. "Decent I guess. We get anything from the footage?" "Yes and no," she said skeptically. "They paraded Jess right in the front door Jimmy. Looked right at the security cameras. It looked like they had her drugged but you could still tell how terrified she was. Then about ten minutes after you called us, we seen them leave. Diablo even turned around when he got to the door of the building and blew the camera a kiss. Other than that, nothing. They must have parked down a street with no traffic cams because they hit an alley across from Annie's and that's where we lost them."

Jimmy rolled his eyes. Just then Daisy's cell vibrated. She checked the message from Marco and instantly looked to Annie and closed her eyes. "What is it?" Jimmy asked slightly alarmed. Daisy took a breath, "Your buddy Brad from the media is in the bullpen with a video tape. Sounds like Diablo and his father were serious about going public."

Jimmy closed his eyes and took a breath, "I haven't even told her about Jess yet. She can't handle anymore Daisy. She's already past her breaking point. What the hell is the best call here?" Daisy just stared into space. She didn't know what to tell him. Everything just kept getting worse.

Jimmy gently scooted out from under Annie. He stood up feeling much better than before. "Stay with her, don't leave her side." Daisy nodded as she watched Jimmy head for the bullpen.

Brad was pacing back and forth when Jimmy walked in. Marco had taken the tape to Bouff to see what was on it but according to Brad it was very disturbing. "Jimmy, why the hell is your phone off? I've been calling you for an hour. I figured you would want this tape as soon as possible. My boss is pissed but I told him this was a top priority case and there is no way we could air any footage until you guys knew about it. But Jimmy...we aren't the only news station in Houston…"

Jimmy held his hands up "Slow down Brad, what time did the tape come in?" "About two and a half hours ago. It was dropped off at the secretaries desk and marked urgent. The guy must have made a real impression on Debbie cause she personally ran it straight to my boss. It's just dumb luck that I was in his office when she dropped it off."

Jimmy nodded, "Okay...okay," he pulled his thoughts together and glanced up as Marco entered the bullpen quickly followed by a green looking Luke. Marco was shaking his head, "It's not good Jimmy. The son of a bitch has the whole thing on tape. Including Jess accusing William Frost of murder. I think they are sending a message."

Jimmy pointed at Marco and Luke, "Get on the phone to every news station in the city and tell them if they have received this tape not to air it. If they do they will be facing obstruction charges and they will have to deal with the Marshal service coming down on them. I want every copy of this tape in this office within the next few hours. You got it?"

"Yea, got it," Luke nodded, running to his desk to get started. Marco stepped closer to Jimmy, "You may wanna prepare Annie as best you can. Chances are, if the news stations don't release this tape, or at least a part of it, Diablo will have it on social media or youtube really soon. And no matter how bad we may want to, there is no way we can stop it."

Jimmy sighed. He knew Marco was right. He also knew on top of everything else, they now had the chief to consider. Jimmy decided the best thing to do first is to go see what all the tape consisted of. That would let him know what had to be told to the chief right away and what might could wait until later when hopefully Annie was stronger.

Jimmy felt light headed after watching the tape in its entirety. They had included everything, from Jess begging for her life, to accusing William Frost of the murder of Mary Hendrix and admitting that she lied about everything back then. She went as far as to say that William paid her off to accuse Vasquez. After that it showed them as they entered Annie's apartment. They captured every detail of Jess's murder. Every cut and stab. The brutal rape. Jess went from fighting and begging for her life to completely giving up and surrendering. By the time Jimmy arrived, Jess was unconscious from blood loss and shock. The tape then showed Jimmy calling out and entering the bedroom. It showed how they jumped him from behind and then how they stood over his still body. They took his cell phone and then went to the bed and Diablo kneeled over Jess. He then turned to the camera and smiled as he pushed his knife into her neck and slid it across. Her body shook for a moment before becoming deathly still, blood pooling around her wound. Diablo then went to Jimmy and lifted him up into a sitting position. He grinned at the camera again and held the knife to his neck. That's when Juan Vasquez entered the picture. "Not now son, let's take him…" he trailed off when he looked like he heard something. "We gotta go, leave him for now," Juan said as he ran to the camera and turned it off.

"He heard sirens," Bouff said. "I focused in on the background noise and that's what made them decide to leave you. Thank God huh?"

Jimmy nodded, "Yea...close call." He knew they could have easily killed him if they had wanted, but until now, Jimmy didn't realize just how close he had came. The realization made him sick to his stomach. Seeing his lifeless form in the hands of Diablo. How the hell had the father son team made it this long without getting caught. It's like they were one step ahead all the time. Like they knew what the Marshal's next move was before it was ever made.

He made his way back to the bullpen to see if Luke and Marco had any luck gathering any more tapes. "He sent one to every major news broadcasters in Houston. I have each tape being sent over immediately. The companies weren't very happy about it but they understood it was evidence in an ongoing investigation. Jimmy nodded, "Good work guys. Listen…" he motioned for them to come closer and lowered his voice, "I want this whole place checked for listening devices. Somehow these guys are staying one step ahead of us all the time and I'm wondering how they have been that lucky. Either they are listening in somehow, or they have someone on the inside."

Luke nodded, "I'm on it." He hurried out of the bullpen towards Bouff's office.

Jimmy turned and headed back to the bunks to check on Annie. When he entered he was relieved to see she was still sleeping. Daisy glanced up from her phone she had been playing on. "She's exhausted, hasn't moved since you left. What did you find out from Brad?"

Jimmy explained everything and then asked Daisy to give Luke and Marco a hand. "Okay Jimmy, but remember that Annie is not the only one that had a hard day. You need to rest and take care of yourself. I will get some food for you two in just a bit so lay down and rest and I will wake you up in an hour or so. Don't worry Jimmy, we will do everything that needs doing."

He nodded and watched her leave, closing the door quietly behind her. He watched Annie sleep for a few minutes, noticing her eyebrows crease slightly every once in a while. A sign that even though she was sleeping, there was still a discomfort very present. He eventually eased himself down beside her. She nestled closer and her wrapped his arms around her. He was asleep shortly after, dreading the hours ahead. He knew he would have to break all the news to Annie all too soon.

**Well, there is the next installment. Please let me know if anyone is still out there wanting more of this story. Again I apologize for letting everyone down by not finishing this when I promised I would but hopefully I can keep my head in it long enough to see it through! Drop me a review and let me know if you all are still interested!**


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